While the southeast is experiencing a spike in temperature, the province is already gearing up for winter by updating the Highway Hotline with new, clearer terminology to help drivers navigate snow-covered roads when the cold returns.
The change in terminology is intended to provide clearer, more concise messaging, allowing drivers to make informed decisions about winter travel. The updates also align with those used in neighbouring provinces, making the hotline easier to use for travellers across Western Canada.
“The Highway Hotline is used millions of times throughout the year to help travellers plan ahead,” Highways Minister Lori Carr said. “These changes will help drivers make an informed decision while offering better consistency with our neighbouring provinces and national standards.”
The new primary conditions include:
- Bare: Road appears black, meaning all wheels of a passenger vehicle are on a bare surface.
- Partly Covered: Road appears yellow, meaning two wheels of a passenger vehicle are on a snow or ice-covered surface.
- Covered: Road appears pink, meaning all wheels of the vehicle are on snow or ice.
- Travel Not Recommended: Road appears blue, meaning visibility is less than 250 metres and the road could become impassable.
- Closed: Road appears red, meaning the highway is impassable
The colour white has been removed because it did not show up clearly on digital maps. Poor visibility will continue to be indicated by a dotted line.
The Highway Hotline, which has been around for over 50 years, provides information on highway conditions, road closures, ferries and border crossings.
Throughout the winter driving season, road conditions are updated at least four times a day. Earlier this year, the “track my plow” feature was added, allowing users to see how plows are progressing with snow and ice removal.