Snow Plowing

Northumberland County maintains approximately 900 lane kilometres of County roads during winter operations.

During winter weather events, our crews are responsible for:

  • Plowing and salting/sanding County Roads
  • Snow removal at some towns and villages in Northumberland

County roads are maintained in accordance with O.Reg. 239/02 Minimum Maintenance Standards (MMS) for Municipal Highways and in accordance with our 2024 Salt Management Plan.

Clearing county roads

All municipal roads are divided into road classes based on traffic volumes and posted speed limits, as outlined in the Province of Ontario's Minimum Maintenance Standards (MMS) for Municipal Highways. Based on these classifications, County roads range from classes 2 through 4 with Class 2 roads being the highest priority, having the most vehicles travelled, and Class 4 roads being lightly travelled.

Our Roads team consistently monitors weather reports throughout the winter to dispatch snowplows as needed to prevent and treat icy roadways, and to respond to snowfall accumulation within the timeframes below. Plows are dispatched as soon as it starts snowing, to clear the way for our community. While this chart reflects *minimum* standards identified by the Ministry, our teams strive to exceed these timelines.

Service level standards
Road classDepth of snow accumulationTimeframe for clearing snowTimeframe for ice prevention treatmentTimeframe for treatment of icy roads
2 5 cm  6 hours 8 hours  4 hours
3 8 cm 12 hours 16 hours 8 hours
4 8 cm 16 hours  24 hours

12 hours
To learn more about how we maintain County roads during a snowfall, view our Winter Operations infographic.

Meet our Roads team 

Before Northumberland wakes up, snowplow operators are out there battling the winter weather, making sure you can safely get from A to B. Please give snowplows plenty of room and never pass a working plow.

Check out the video below to learn more about our Roads team and to get a glimpse into their world.

Driving in the snow

If you must drive during bad weather, remember to:

  • Clear all snow and ice from your car before driving
  • Slow your roll and drive slow in the snow  –  follow posted speed limits and give yourself extra travel time
  • Keep a safe space from other cars
  • Be patient when driving behind a snowplow – snowplows only drive a maximum of 30-40 km/hr but they are working to make your commute as safe as possible
  • Never attempt to pass a working snowplow
  • Be prepared in case of an emergency by making sure you have a car survival kit readily available

For more helpful tips and information about winter driving, visit the Transport Canada website.

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