Less snow this winter means savings for Kamloops and Kelowna

Street sweepers have been out more than snow plows this winter in Kamloops and Kelowna.

Despite some snowfall early this winter, Kamloops and the Okanagan have seen relatively little snow stick around in January and February. Both cities are poised to see savings.

“What we did see was fewer snowfall events, but the events we did experience were heavy snow,” Jeff Putnam said, who oversees snow plowing in Kamloops.

Kamloops set aside $1.9 million in the 2025 budget and saved $100,000 of that. While there should be more saved this year, he said it’s too soon to say just how much.

The lack of snow also means city crews have spent more time fixing pot holes and sweeping dusty streets.

“There’s been lots of work because snow clearing is just one piece,” he said.

Kelowna spent more, but city crews spend more time clearing the bike lane network. More than $200,000 was saved out of its $3.4 million 2025 budget.

A city spokesperson didn’t provide specific figures for the first few months of this year.

The total seasonal spending won’t be available until the contract is up next month, city spokesperson Bonnie O’Sullivan said in an email.

“That said, this winter brought minimal snowfall, requiring considerably less deployment of snow equipment than usual, however, it did require increased use of street sweeping equipment, with our sweepers remaining active the entire season,” O’Sullivan wrote.