The City of Kitchener's snow event has been cancelled as of 6 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2026.
​This means street parking can resume except between 2;30am-6am (our overnight parking bylaw)
Our snow clearing crews will continue working to keep streets clear across the city
Plows will continue maintaining priority streets overnight
Snow loading will continue overnight

When Snow Events are declared, cars cannot be parked on city streets at any time until the Snow Event is officially ended. The City declares a snow event if 8 cm or more of snow is forecasted or accumulated.  This keeps our roads clear so crews can plow them safely, efficiently and quickly. 

Although overnight parking enforcement is normally put on pause over the Christmas break (Dec. 22 – Jan. 3), this is not the case during a snow event. 
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If vehicles are parked on the roadway during a snow event, it takes longer for crews to clear the roads, especially in subdivisions where the volume of on street parking tends to be higher. When plows have to drive around cars parked on the  road, they have to make several trips back to clean up the snow berms left on the road from having to drive around the parked cars. In some cases Bylaw may tag and tow cars if a plow is unable to get down a street due to parked cars.
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​The ticket for a  car left on the road during a snow event is $80.00. If you suspect your vehicle has been towed, please call our 24 Hour Contact Centre at 519-741-2345.  

Learn more about Kitchener's Winter Maintenance Program including Snow Events & Plowing Priorities HERE. You can sign up to receive an email notice when Snow Events are declared, Click HERE then scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says Categories and select Snow Events.
Snow Event and Significant Weather Declarations
When there is snowfall of 8 cm or more happening or in the weather forecast, a SNOW EVENT is normally declared.

A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT is declared when the forecast, or actual weather conditions have the potential to pose a significant danger to residents travelling within or around the city.

This includes over 20 cm of snow in 24 hours, over 20 mm of ice from freezing rain lasting more than 12 hours, or sustained winds above 60 km/h.

If the weather meets the criteria for both a snow event and a significant weather event, both can be declared at the same time.

During a Significant Weather Event, the city's operations staff prioritize clearing roads to manage the high volume of snow.
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​This declaration pauses provincial time requirements for clearing roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks, meaning the city's snow clearing bylaw for sidewalks is also paused, and enforcement will resume once the declaration is lifted.
Plow drivers attempt to minimize impacts to driveways.
But impacts are unavoidable.
Snow Event and Snow Plow Information  Is Below

Snow Events 2025/26
Jan 25 at 11:59pm
Jan 21 at 9pm to Jan 22 at 5pm
Jan 15 at Noon to Jan 16 at Noon
Jan 1 at 9pm to Jan 2 at 4pm
Tuesday Dec 29 at 11:59pm. Extended on Dec 30 to December 31 at 4pm
Wednesday Dec 10 at 2am - Extended to Dec 11 at Noon
​Extended  Nov. 30  and Ended at 3pm on Monday December 1
Extended Nov 29 to Nov 30 at 11:59pm
Thursday Nov 27 - Extended Nov 28 to Nov 29
 
Snow Events 2024/25
February 15  Extended Feb 16, 17, 18 Until Cancelled.
​February 12 to 14 at 9pm
​February 8, 2025
January 28, 2025
January 2, 2025
December 23, 2024

 The Clearing Of Our Roads Must Follow Provincial Regulations & Be Done By Priority.

Priority 1
Main roads and major arteries.
In Ward 2: Ottawa, Lackner, Fairway, King St
All priority 1 routes and all GRT bus routes are maintained until complete.

Priority 2
Major Collector Roads, GRT Bus Routes, Hills & Curves
In Ward 2; River, Franklin, Old Chicopee, Oldfield, Zeller, Old Zeller, Pebblecreek, Eden Oak,
Holborn, Shaftsbury, Bradley, Midland, Daimler, Old Chicopee Trail, Tremaine, Sims Estate,
Briarmeadow,Morrison, Grand River Blvd, Chandos, Trafalgar, Kenneth, Rennie
Morgan, Jansen, Huber, Kinzie, Thaler, Fergus, Stonegate, Scenic, Volta
Work on priority 2 streets begins only after priority 1 streets have been completed.
If snow resumes while in priority 1 or 2, then clearing priority 1 roads is restarted.

​Priority 3
​Balance of backstreets, completing a full plow of the city.
Work on priority 3 routes starts only after priorities 1 and 2 have been completed.
If snow resumes while in priority 1 or 2, then clearing priority 1 roads is restarted.

To see your street's priority level click HERE 
 To see which roads have been plowed and when,
Visit our Getting Around Map HERE
Cycling Lanes are cleared 24 hours after a snowfall ends
From The City Of Kitchener Website
 We remove snow and ice from specific sidewalks and walkways around the city, including:
  • sidewalks that surround city-owned property, such as community centres
  • sidewalks within the downtown core, in connection with the Downtown Kitchener BIA
  • ‘back lot’ sidewalks: sidewalks that run along the back fence of properties that owners do not have to maintain under the bylaw
  • walkways between neighbourhoods
  • crossing guard locations
  • some crosswalks
We do not remove snow or ice from sidewalks not listed above.
Trails and Paths: We do not remove snow from trails or parking lots that do not have a concrete or asphalt surface. This is to avoid damage. Applying salt can harm these areas.

Multi-use trails: Multi-use trails are our network of trails, some of which run along city streets. Many run through our parks and open spaces. These hard-surface trails offer year-round use for pedestrians and cyclists. We maintain many trails during the winter, but not all.

Multi-use paths: Multi-use paths connect pedestrians to the regional road network, providing an asphalt surface for pedestrians, cyclists and more. We maintain these pathways during the winter in partnership with the Region of Waterloo. The region is responsible for repairs, brush cutting and grass cutting.

Bike Lanes​: We clear all bike lanes within 24 hours after a snowfall.