Snow and Ice Control

Our most-traveled roads get attention first:

• Priority 1: Arterial Roads – Main service and high-traffic roads, including emergency routes. They carry large volumes of traffic over long distances. Clearing and sanding begin during regular daytime hours once the snow starts to fall. While we work as quickly as we can, full coverage doesn’t happen all at once. It can take up to 36 hours (1.5 days) to complete.
• Priority 2: Collector Roads – Local connectors and neighborhood streets that direct traffic toward main arterial roads. Snow clearing begins after Priority 1 routes are complete. We aime to complete these roads within 60 hours (2.5 days).

Note: These timelines refer to the initial plow and sanding, intended to make roads passable. Crews may return for additional passes if needed, especially in areas with drifting snow or persistent ice. If snow continues falling, crews must return to re-clear Priority 1 roads before continuing to Priority 2. 

Even the best road trip can have delays:

• Snow keeps falling and we must restart high-priority roads.
• Parked or abandoned vehicles block our way.
• Storms hit during rush hour or overnight, slowing safe speeds.
• Heavy snowfall just takes longer to clear.
• Heavier snowfalls, ice buildup, and wind conditions may extend response times.

During these times, live updates or real-time tracking is not available, but crews are active. 

• Gravel roads are plowed when snow reaches 10 cm (about the height of a juice box).
• Sanding or grit may be done for ice, even without deep snow.
• Some rural or seasonal roads, mostly used by farm equipment, are plowed only by request. To make a request, call 403-230-1401 or email questions@rockyview.ca.

After a plow goes by, it can leave a snow ridge (called a “windrow”) across the end of your driveway.

• Residents are responsible for clearing windrows left by roadside plowing.
  • If you're clearing snow from your driveway, consider piling it on the right side (as you're facing the street). This helps reduce windrows, those frustrating ridges left by plows, making it easier to get in and out after the plow comes by.

Why not remove windrows altogether?

• Removal increases costs and can cause spring flooding.
• If plow drivers stopped at every driveway or intersection, it would take much longer to clear roads.

When winter gets bitterly cold, ice can build up quickly. It often happens when melting snow refreezes, during freezing rain, or when traffic packs snow into a slick layer. Alberta’s famous chinooks also play a big role. The warm winds can melt snow during the day, only for it to freeze again overnight, creating that classic freeze-thaw cycle.

What We Use

• We use a Pickle Mix: a blend of sand and salt.
  • Sand improves traction.
  • Salt melts ice and slows it from reforming.

Crews monitor road conditions daily, including early mornings and overnight. Pickle mix is applied proactively when surfaces are slippery, even without recent snowfall. However, during periods of extreme cold, the salt in the mix is less effective at initiating the thawing process. In these cases, the County will apply additional grit where possible to improve traction, particularly in high-risk areas.

• Keep vehicles off the road during and after storms.
• Clear windrows for safety.
• Drive accordingly to road conditions. Plows move at safe, reduced speeds.

Residents who require access to emergency medical assistance during the winter can apply to have snow cleared from their private driveway while plows are in their area.

To qualify for this program, residents must submit:

• a letter from their physician stating the reasons for requiring medical emergency access; and
• a signed indemnity agreement [PDF/164KB]

The physician’s letter must be provided to the County on an annual basis in order to maintain active status. For liability reasons, private driveways cannot be plowed until these forms have been received.

Once the documentation is ready, contact the County by telephone or email for submission instructions.

For more information please refer to:

• Policy C-405: Snow and Ice Control [PDF/705KB]

County road crews install snow fencing in the fall months to help reduce drifting snow onto county roads.

The County is permitted under the provincial Public Highways Development Act to enter private property to install and maintain snow fencing as required.

Crews will not enter lands where obvious farming underway, for example, active pasture land with grazing livestock or fields with a crop waiting to be harvested. Every effort is made to contact affected landowners in advance of the installation.