NOTE: This is a corrected article. While a city staff report for FEDCO did say the first quarter of 2017 was the second snowiest in 30 years behind 2008, data obtained from Environment Canada show the first quarter of 1992 (173.0 cm) and 1993 (247.1 cm) were snowier. In fact, the first quarter of 1993 was snowier than 2008 (245.7 cm). A previous version of this story was titled "Second snowiest winter in 30 years buries Winter Ops budget."
The $9.3 million budget deficit remains unchanged.
The City's snow-clearing budget was buried under a snowier than average first quarter this year.
In a report for the City's Finance and Economic Development Committee, city staff say Ottawa saw 172.9 cm of snow between January and March, which is well above the 20-year average of 137.82 cm.
We also saw 95.2 mm of rain.
That made for 50 “winter events,” according to the report, and resulted in a $9.3 million winter operations deficit.
Staff said in the report this was the second snowiest start to the year in 30 years, with only 2008 weeing more accumulation, however both 1992 and 1993 saw more snow in the first three month of the year than 2017.
The report says Road Services will report back to the Transportation Committee in the second quarter with an update on identifying cost containment strategies and operational efficiencies.