Montreal snow-removal operation 80% complete, city filling potholes

As of Wednesday afternoon, the snow clearing efforts in Montreal were at 80 per cent complete – but they are still expected to take at least another five days.

Spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin, says most of the job will be done by end of day.

“At this point we have done more than three quarters of the job,” said Sabourin. “There are few things that helped. First of all, we increased the numbers of trucks to transport the snow by 30 per cent. That’s a good help and it’s a good start. Once a sector is completed, then we will reassign that equipment, those employees, all the sectors in the neighborhood, in the borough.”

As the forecast calls for more snow this week, Sabourin spoke about the potential consequences.

“Bad news, the forecast is concerning,” said Sabourin. “They’re calling for a few centimeters. If it’s only two, less than two centimeters, we will have to deal with it. And maybe that would slow down the operation. But of course, if there’s a significant amount of snow, we will have to pause the loading operation to go back on the clearing operation. At this point, we’re not concerned. Every little street has been done. Those narrow streets are secure. So, we’re quite confident.”

Sabourin also spoke about the number of cars that have been towed due to the snow removal operation. “I’ve got a great news,” said Sabourin. “The city, lowered the number of cars needing to be towed by 75 per cent.”

The increase in potholes was also a topic of discussion for Sabourin.

“Keep in mind, our blue collars are working on the loading operation,” said Sabourin. “To patch up, you need dry asphalt. So, once we will get some fresh snow, we will have to pause the operation. But we know for sure there’s potholes and we’re securing the worst of them.”

Sabourin asks citizen to slow down their speed and stay alert for potholes.

“You don’t need to call the 311,” said Sabourin. “We know that there’s a lot of potholes needed to be fixed. Give us time, maybe two weeks. And if the job is not done in two weeks, then feel free to call the 311.”

“We want to thank everyone,” concluded Sabourin. We’re feeling that we’re on the same team and that’s a great job. “Regarding the last sprint, there’s a few streets needed to be done. We want everyone to stick together, be kind with your neighbor, help each other. And thanks to our workers. I know it was a long journey for everyone. We’re tired but we’ll stay on the job until the last pile of snow.”

The three boroughs that have made the most progress in snow clearing are Pierrefonds-Roxboro at 93 per cent complete, Plateau Mont Royal at 84 per cent, and Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève at 80 per cent.

Those falling behind include: Outremont at 62 per cent snow clearing completed, Ahuntsic-Cartierville at 66 per cent, and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension 66 per cent.

Parking and towing

As the conditions of Montreal roads haven’t been ideal due to back-to-back storms, the Agence de mobilité durable says they are currently showing tolerance for bans on parking reserved for residents (vignettes) and on-street paid parking spaces (parking meters).

“However, the tolerance shown by our officers concerns these two types of offence, not all offences,” said Marilou Denault, communications and public affairs for the Agence de mobilité durable.  “The municipal by-law on traffic and parking stipulates that a road vehicle may only be parked obliquely when required by signs. Indeed, as well as running the risk of being hit, cars parked at an angle can obstruct the passage of emergency vehicles.”

“It is therefore important to be on the lookout for special signage and to move your car before the snow clearance teams pass by,” said Denault. “The Agency provides the public with 2,625 free parking spaces, where everyone is entitled to park their vehicles from 7 pm to 7 am.”

 People can consult the list of parking lots here.

The city says a single tow slows down the loading convoy by about 10 minutes.

Vehicles are usually towed as close as possible to their original location. Their owners can find them at the Towing Info section on Montreal’s website.

Between Feb. 14 to 24 this year, 905 cars have been fined without towing and 5,754 cars have been fined with towing.

In the last three years the total amount of towing operations for snow removal or other violations has been 46,424 in 2022, 43,439 in 2023 and 32,967 in 2024. This year as of Feb. 23 the total is at 25,484.

Weather forecast in Montreal

A mix of sun and clouds for Montrealers on Wednesday.  Fog patches dissipating in the morning and clearing up by midday. The evening will also bring cloudiness.

Thursday will bring snow throughout the day with a high of plus 1°C. Periods of snow will continue overnight, and temperatures will dip to a low of -2°C.

On Friday, sun and clouds with temperatures staying near -5°C. Snow is expected to return at night, with lows reaching -10°C.

Saturday will bring continued snow with a high of -6°C, followed by cloudy periods and a low of -16°C at night.

Sunny skies in the forecast for Sunday with a high of -10°C and a clear night, with temperatures again dropping to -16°C.