What a windrow actually is
When a road plow clears a residential street, the snow it moves has to go somewhere: it is pushed to the side of the road, which means across every driveway entrance along the route. The resulting ridge is called a windrow.
It is dense because it is not fresh snow. It has already been compacted by traffic and the plow blade, and in Ottawa's freeze-thaw cycles it can set up hard within hours.
Why it is worse later in the season
Windrows are cumulative. Each storm adds material to the same spot, and each thaw-refreeze cycle locks it in place. By February, the entrance can be the hardest part of the whole driveway.
Snowbanks on either side also grow inward through the season, narrowing the entrance and leaving less room to move new snow off the driveway.
How equipment choice changes the outcome
A truck plow clearing your driveway pushes your snow forward — toward the same entrance the road plow is filling. That is why plowed driveways so often end up with a bank at the curb cut that a homeowner finishes by hand.
A snow blower discharges snow sideways onto the lawn or a designated snow storage area instead of pushing it forward, so the entrance does not keep building up over the season.
What homeowners can do
- Clear early rather than waiting for the storm to fully finish — compacted snow is far harder to move.
- Keep a snow storage area in mind on each side of the driveway and avoid stacking it right at the entrance.
- Do not throw driveway snow back onto the roadway; it refreezes and creates a hazard.
- Flag the entrance area on your service notes if it is where you have the most trouble, so it is prioritised on every visit.
Timing and expectations
During and after a significant storm, road plows and residential contractors are working the same window. A windrow can appear after your driveway has already been cleared, simply because the road plow came through later. Seasonal contracts exist partly to handle that reality across a whole winter instead of storm by storm.
Common questions
- What is a windrow?
- A windrow is the ridge of compacted snow a road plow leaves across a driveway entrance as it clears the street. It is denser than fresh snow because it has already been packed by traffic and the plow blade.
- Does snow blowing prevent the end-of-driveway bank?
- It avoids adding to it. A blower throws snow onto the yard instead of pushing it forward, so your own snow is not piled at the entrance. The road plow can still leave a windrow after your visit.
- Can I push driveway snow onto the street?
- No. Snow pushed back onto the roadway refreezes and creates a hazard for drivers, and it is against municipal rules in Ottawa.
Related on this site
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Keep reading
- What affects snow removal cost in Ottawa
Every driveway is quoted on its own details. Here is what a contractor is actually looking at when they price an Ottawa driveway for the season, and what you can check before you ask for an estimate.
- Ice control for Ottawa driveways and walkways
Clearing snow is only half of an Ottawa winter. Freeze-thaw cycles turn cleared surfaces into ice, and the products that fix that behave very differently depending on temperature.
- When to book snow removal in Ottawa
The homeowners with the least winter stress are the ones who sorted it out in the fall. Here is a realistic timeline for arranging seasonal snow removal in Ottawa.