You've just spent 45 minutes clearing your driveway. Then the city plow rolls through and deposits a 3-foot wall of compacted snow and ice right across the end. That wall is called a windrow, and it's one of the most frustrating parts of winter.
What Is a Windrow?
A windrow is the ridge of snow left by a municipal plow as it clears the road. The plow pushes snow to the side, and anything in its path, including your driveway entrance, gets buried. Windrows are different from regular snowfall because the snow has been compressed by the plow blade, often mixed with gravel, sand, and ice chunks from the road surface.
Why Windrows Are Worse Than Regular Snow
- Density: windrow snow is 2–3× heavier than fresh snowfall because it's been compressed and mixed with road debris
- Ice content: road-level snow goes through more freeze-thaw cycles, creating hard ice layers
- Timing: plows often run overnight, so you wake up to a blocked driveway with the clock ticking on your commute
- Repetition: every time the city plows, it happens again: that can be 15–20 times per winter
When the City Plows Your Street
The City of Grande Prairie plows residential streets once more than 10 cm has accumulated, on a two-week A/B rotation, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., after higher-priority roads are done. Every pass leaves a new windrow. The full order of operations is in the Grande Prairie snow removal schedule.
Can You Prevent Windrows?
No. The city isn't going to lift their blades at every driveway. It's the cost of having plowed roads. Some homeowners try parking at the end of their driveways to block the windrow: this doesn't work and can result in vehicle damage or parking violations.
The Equipment Makes the Difference
A standard snow shovel is often not enough for a compacted windrow. You need mechanical force: a skid steer, compact loader, or at minimum a snowblower with enough torque to break through compressed snow and ice. PWW deploys appropriately sized equipment for windrow removal, matching the machine to the job so your driveway entrance is fully cleared without damaging the surface.
Windrow Clearing in a Season Plan
Windrow clearing is included in every PWW residential season plan, along with clearing after every 5 cm snowfall and the front public sidewalk. See snow removal in Grande Prairie or price your driveway in the calculator.
Adding Windrow Removal to Your Contract
If you already have a driveway or sidewalk clearing contract, adding windrow removal is straightforward. It triggers automatically whenever the city plows your street. No calls needed: our crews monitor city plow schedules and respond accordingly.
Related: nine terms to check in a snow removal contract, including the windrow