Preparing for winter weather

Thursday, January 21 – Environment Canada has advised of a cool-down period remaining until the end of January and is forecasting possible snow for the region.

Weather notification

Environment Canada reports that while B.C. and Yukon have experienced unseasonably warm weather so far this winter, a cool down to below-average temperatures remaining until the end of the month. Once cold air is established, Environment Canada advises “watch for the possibility of significant snowfall events throughout B.C. Snowfall will be possible close to sea level.”

In the event of weather alerts, please refer to Environment Canada’s Public Weather Alerts for British Columbia page.

Winter road maintenance procedures

With this notice, the District reminds residents of winter road maintenance procedures:

  • Crews work around the clock pre-treating roads with an anti-icing brine to reduce potentially hazardous conditions.
  • Victoria Contracting clears roadways in a prioritized sequence, beginning with bus routes, school zones, and critical intersections.
  • Local roads may be plowed to accommodate single lane traffic only during the first pass of the plow. This is a temporary measure, and the roads will be revisited and cleared more substantially once every local road has been plowed once.
  • Maintenance of Highway 14 (Sooke Road & West Coast Road) is the responsibility of the Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and their contractor, EMCON. They also work around the clock to maintain and clear roads during extreme winter weather events.

When it comes to sidewalks, residents and business owners are reminded that they are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks that border their property. Please be a good neighbour and help to keep Sooke safe by keeping walkways clear.

Refer to drivebc.ca for current conditions on Highway 14.

In extreme weather events, it takes the entire community to ensure our well-being and safety. Snowfall is not equally familiar for everyone in the region. Let’s do our best to work together and look out for each-other.

Stay safe, Sooke.

 

Contact:
Christina Moog, Communications Coordinator
District of Sooke
2205 Otter Point Road
Tel: 250.642.1634, ext. 678
Email: cmoog@sooke.ca