Significant Weather Events
Throughout the winter, the City of Vaughan may declare a “Significant Weather Event.”
When the City declares a Significant Weather Event, winter maintenance service levels may be impacted. Although service level standards do not change, winter clearing activities (such as plowing and salting) may take longer to complete.
Here's everything you need to know about Significant Weather Events in Vaughan:
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Under the Ontario Regulation 239/02, Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, made under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, a Significant Weather Event is defined as an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways within a municipality. Examples of severe weather that could trigger an event include freezing rain, significant snowfall, blowing snow and reduced visibility.
This declaration suspends the standard timelines required for municipalities to meet their winter maintenance objectives until the municipality declares the Significant Weather Event has ended. Once the event has ended, standard timelines for winter maintenance activities (i.e. plowing, salting) will begin.
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The intent of a declaration is to notify the public that due to the forecasted or current weather conditions, caution should be exercised when travelling on the City’s sidewalks, pathways, roads and cycling network, and it may take longer than usual to restore them to the expected condition.
Service level standards do not change because the City has declared a Significant Weather Event.
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The City may declare a Significant Weather Event when Environment Canada has issued an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program. The City must also determine that an approaching or occurring winter event meets the criteria for a weather hazard and also poses a significant danger to users of the highway.
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The City declares Significant Weather Events in the following ways:
- an alert on vaughan.ca
- posts on all of our social media channels: X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
- a public service announcement posted to Vaughan News
- an eNewsletter through Vaughan News – subscribe to get City news straight to your inbox
In addition to the City declaring a Significant Weather Event, York Region can also declare an event. This declaration impacts regional roads. Visit york.ca for more information.
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The City will declare the end of a Significant Weather Event using the same channels as we do to declare one:
- an alert on vaughan.ca
- posts on our social media channels.
- public service announcement posted to Vaughan News
- an eNewsletter through Vaughan News
Follow the official corporate channels on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also subscribe to Vaughan News to get City news straight to your inbox.
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The City will declare a Significant Weather Event when there is an occurring or expected weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of our City sidewalks, pathways, roads and cycling network. During an event, you are urged to limit travel to essential trips. Those who cannot are reminded to exercise caution based on the conditions of the roads and to give our snowplow operators space to do their jobs.