Winter Road Maintenance

The City of Fort St. John Winter Road Maintenance program is designed to minimize the impact of snow and ice, ensuring the continued movement of emergency vehicles, traffic, and pedestrians, while providing a consistent and equitable level of service to all residents.

Recognizing that we are a Winter City means that winter conditions are a defining feature of our community and that clearing snow and ice is a collaborative effort between the City and our residents.

NEW for 2025-2026: Snow and Ice Control Categories

Our operations follow a category-based approach, which is designated using criteria such as traffic volume, road width, transit routes, connectivity to the downtown core, and proximity to hospitals and emergency service routes. 

Snow clearing begins when accumulation exceeds 5 cm, with crews proceeding through the following categories:

1. Category 1 (Red): Major thoroughfares, such as: Northern Lights Drive, 100 Avenue, 100 Street, 93 Avenue, 112 Avenue and 86 Street
2. Category 2 (Blue): Collector routes, such as: 106 Street, 89 Avenue, 90 Street. and 102 Street
3. Category 3 (Orange): Transit routes & core avenues, such as: 111 Avenue, 101 Avenue, 99 Avenue, and 105 Avenue
4. Category 4 (Purple): Frontage roads & core commercial lanes, such as: Alaska Road, and the laneway west of 100 Street
5. Category 5 (Green): Residential & commercial streets, such as: 104 Street, 115 Avenue, and 91 Avenue

Generally, it takes crews 4-5 days to complete clearing Categories 1 - 4 once the snow has stopped falling. Once Categories 1 - 4 are complete, most properties will be within two to three blocks of a cleared street. However, blowing snow, poor visibility, and the amount of snow can impact these timelines. Additionally, the City may modify the category sequence during significant snowfalls, City-sponsored events, or unusual weather conditions such as drifting snow or chinooks.

Should a significant snowfall occur, with 15 cm or more of snowfall within 24 hours, the City may utilize contracted crews to clear residential streets, while City crews clear Category 1 - 4 roads.

NEW for 2025-2026: Residential Snow Clearing Schedule

Once crews move into Category 5 roads, each neighbourhood will be assigned a specific day of the week for clearing services.

For example: on the first Monday of the schedule, Monday A areas will be cleared, the following Monday, crews will work in the Monday B areas, and on the third Monday, crews will work in Monday A again.

This rotating schedule is designed to ensure equitable service across all neighbourhoods and to provide residents with a predictable and easy-to-understand system. This same schedule will remain in place for the entire snow season.

Find your Neighbourhood Snow Clearing Schedule

The Highway and Traffic Bylaw [PDF/677KB] supports snow clearing operations to enable crews to clear roads more efficiently and reduce the need for return visits.

On-street parking restrictions apply between October 1 and April 30:

• Category 1 (red) roads at all times, except for 100 Avenue and 100 Street
• 100 Avenue and 100 Street between 11 pm and 7 am
• Category 5 (green) roads (residential) on the scheduled snow clearing day between 7 am and 7 pm 

Illegally parked vehicles are subject to a $40 ticket per offence and may be towed.