SUMMERSIDE, PE – When snow begins falling across Summerside, most residents experience the storm from inside their homes.
For City crews, that is often when the work is just beginning.
Long before the morning commute, snowplows, salt trucks and sidewalk equipment can already be moving throughout the city, working through changing road conditions, drifting snow and freezing temperatures to help keep Summerside moving.
It is work that often happens quietly and, in many cases, while most of the city is asleep.
During the 2025–26 winter season, City snowplows travelled more than 13,000 kilometres, while salt trucks recorded more than 24,000 kilometres on Summerside streets.
Sidewalk-clearing equipment travelled another 4,500 kilometres, while contracted snow-clearing equipment added thousands more.
A significant portion of that work took place overnight.
But clearing snow is not as simple as making one pass down a street and moving on.
A storm can mean going over the same ground more than once
During an active snowfall, crews may have to return to roads several times as snow continues to accumulate.
Wind can also create drifting, covering sections of roadway that were cleared only hours earlier.
That means a road that looked clear at midnight may need attention again before residents begin heading to work in the morning.
Crews are constantly responding to the conditions in front of them, rather than simply following a one-time route.
And when the snow finally stops, winter operations do not necessarily stop with it.
The work continues after the storm
Once the main snowfall is over, crews begin focusing on the work that comes afterward.
Roads may need to be widened. Snowbanks may need to be pushed back or blown farther from the roadway. Snow may need to be hauled away from areas where space is limited.
Intersections and sightlines may require additional attention, and drifting can continue even under clear skies.
Then there is ice.
A winter day can move above freezing before temperatures fall again overnight. Melting snow and water can quickly turn into slippery roads, creating the need for another salting operation even when no new snow has fallen.
That helps explain one of the more noticeable changes in winter operations.
During the 2025–26 season, the City recorded 95 salting runs, representing approximately a 30 per cent increase in salting activity from the previous year.
Changing winter conditions, including more frequent freeze-and-thaw cycles, can create additional work that residents may not associate with a traditional snowstorm.
Winter operations by the numbers
The scale of the work becomes clearer when looking at the full season.
During 2025–26:
- City snowplows travelled more than 13,000 km
- Salt trucks travelled more than 24,000 km
Sidewalk-clearing equipment travelled more than 4,500 km
- Contracted snow equipment travelled more than 5,600 km
- Crews completed 95 salting runs
- Sidewalk crews completed 81 runs
Altogether, winter equipment travelled tens of thousands of kilometres across Summerside over the course of the season.
Some of the busiest days saw City and contracted plows travelling more than 1,000 kilometres in a single day.
While Summerside sleeps
For residents, the end of a storm can feel like the end of the event.
For the crews maintaining Summerside's streets and sidewalks, it can simply mark the beginning of the next phase.
Plowing, salting, widening, blowing, hauling and responding to changing temperatures can continue for hours — and sometimes days — after the last snowflake falls.
So, the next time you go to bed with snow falling and wake up to roads already being cleared, there is a much bigger story behind that morning drive.
Much of it happened while Summerside slept.
Did you know? You can follow our snow-clearing equipment. They are equipped with GPS tracking! Track our work by visiting sside.ca/public-works.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
TANNER DOIRON
Director, Communications & Events
City of Summerside
Department of Communications & Events
[email protected]
The City of Summerside is located in Prince County, Prince Edward Island, Canada, with the mindset of promoting and advancing its small city with big opportunities. Summerside offers a diverse market and skilled workforce and is a leader in sectors such as green energy, sport tourism and rapid economic growth.