Good morning,

We’re continuing through this very active Alberta Clipper pattern, and today brings another set of back-to-back systems moving across Orléans. While forecasts initially called for close to 20 cm, as of 11 a.m. we’ve only seen about 4 cm on the ground. Snowfall rates are expected to ramp up through the afternoon, reaching 1 cm per hour at times.

We’ve gone back and forth on the best time to begin, as there really isn’t a perfect option for a drawn-out storm like this. The City of Ottawa appears set to begin residential grader routes at 5 p.m., despite the storm still being in full swing. As a result, we’ll need to follow behind them to clear the windrows they leave in driveways.

Here’s the current snowfall outlook:

• By 2 p.m.: 6–7 cm

• By 6 p.m.: around 10 cm

• Heaviest snow tapering off around 10 p.m.

Our crews are scheduled as follows:

• Operators will begin a first pass at 1:30 p.m., then follow behind the city graders later in the afternoon.

• Shovelling teams will begin at 4 a.m. Thursday, once the majority of this system has passed.

We’re also expecting another 1–2 cm overnight and into Thursday, which means the City will likely send graders out again tomorrow to finish their routes — and we will be out as well to clean up after them.

Thank you for your patience as this Clipper pattern continues to keep Orléans busier than the rest of Ottawa. We’ll provide further updates if conditions change.

Stay safe and warm,
The Worry Free Team