Is Vancouver Ready for the Next Snowpocalypse?

Here’s hoping we learn from last year’s mistakes.

Last year’s “once-in-30-years” 69-centimetre snowfall iced us in, shut us down and made us a punchline across the Great White North. Will city and citizens do a better job if and when the cold stuff hits again?412% more warnings and tickets were sent out last year to people who wouldn’t clear their sidewalks. To avoid joining their ranks this year, shovel up by 10 a.m.A budgeted $1.62 million (plus $4.3 million for equipment and infrastructure) will help keep 1,809 lane-kilometres of main roads moving. Side streets are still on their own, though.Snow tire sales were up 80–90% at just one Kingsway tire shop last winter—with luck, that should mean slightly fewer thrills and spills next time the slush hits the fan.15,000 tonnes of salt was dumped on Vancouver streets last winter—474% more than average. Now, the city is more than doubling its storage capacity for salt and brine.While resentful drivers steamed on Twitter over freshly plowed, seemingly empty bike lanes, roughly 1,300 bike commuters still crossed the Burrard Bridge every day, even in the snowy depths of January.