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Cranbrook, BC (January 9, 2023) – Challenging weather conditions, including record low temperatures and freezing rain are behind the rough condition of the roads across the City, and across the region.  Pavement temperatures continue to stay well below freezing, with three or four feet of frost in the ground and any moisture on the roads continues to form ice.

Improving temperatures forecast this week will provide much needed assistance to our roads crews with Public Works to start getting the thick layer of ice off our streets.

“Our team continues to work around the clock to scrape ice with loaders and our grader in priority areas and traction material continues to be put down at all intersections and hills,” says Derrick Anderson, Director of Public Works. “These warming temperatures this week will help greatly in our efforts to clear the ice off the streets. This really has been challenging for everyone – both our residents and our roads crews. We ask for patience from our driving public while we keep working to get the ice under control.”

Just before Christmas, the City of Cranbrook experienced a near record cold snap with continuous snowfall (over 20 centimeters for the week), with temperatures below -25 hitting -35 a couple of days. With this mix of weather conditions and temperatures, the only option for roads crews was to place down a salt/sand mixture for traction purposes.  The cold temperatures and snowfall were followed by a very quick warm-up on December 27, 2022 followed by freezing rain that added to the already compact icy areas. Crews were able to have the priority and the majority of the secondary routes cleared before the slushy roads froze again in some areas of ice up to 4 to 6 inches thick.

Learn more about our winter road maintenance plans, priority routes and more here.