Winter Moving in Ottawa: Snow, Cold and Timing Tips

Ottawa moves don’t stop when the snow arrives, but the job changes. Driveways and windrows need clearing, steps get icy, the City can declare a winter parking ban, daylight is short, and some belongings don’t like the cold. None of that is a reason to wait for spring. This guide is from the Ottawa movers at Men In Trucks. The City of Ottawa rules below are summarized from ottawa.ca as checked in September 2026. Rules change, so confirm them for your date with the City and your property manager.

Pick the date and start time with the weather in mind

• Start early. In December the sun sets in Ottawa at about 4:20 to 4:30 p.m. A morning start keeps loading, driving and unloading in daylight, which is safer on icy steps.
• Have a plan B date. Before you book, ask what happens if a major storm or freezing rain hits on moving day, including whether the date can move and what happens to any deposit.
• Watch the forecast that week. Check it a few days out and again the night before. If the City declares a winter weather parking ban for your date and the truck needs the street, see the parking section below.
• Book building time early. For an apartment or condo move, ask the management at both buildings as soon as you have a date whether you need to reserve the elevator or loading area, whether moves are limited to set hours, and whether they need a certificate of insurance from your mover. Ours is available on request.

Clear the path: snow, ice and the windrow

This is the most useful thing you can do, and it affects cost: a crew working around an unshovelled driveway or icy steps can add billable time.

• Shovel and salt both ends. Clear the driveway, walkway and steps the evening before, and again in the morning if it snows. Don’t push, blow or shovel snow onto the road or sidewalk: the City’s by-law prohibits placing snow or ice on the City’s right-of-way. Keep a shovel and a bag of salt or grit by the door for the day.
• Clear the windrow. After a City plow clears your street, it leaves a windrow: the pile of snow at the end of your driveway. The City says property owners are responsible for removing the windrow; if you rent, ask your landlord who handles it. Residential streets are plowed once 7 cm or more of snow has built up, and the City says plowing them may take 10 to 16 hours to complete, so a new windrow can appear after you shovel. Check the end of the driveway on the morning of the move. A hard, icy windrow can block a ramp or a dolly.
• Save a spot for the truck. Move your own vehicles so the truck can park close to the door; a long carry through snow adds time. If you share a driveway, give your neighbour a heads-up.
• Sort out the new home too. Ask the seller, landlord or property manager who clears the snow there on moving day, and whether the walkway and steps will be salted.

Street parking and City winter parking bans

If the truck will park on the street at either address, check the City’s winter parking rules for your date. Here is what ottawa.ca said when we checked in September 2026:

• When bans happen. Between November 15 and April 1, the City can declare a Winter Weather Parking Ban when Environment Canada forecasts 7 cm or more of snow, or for other bad weather such as freezing rain.
• Hours. An overnight ban runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. A daytime ban runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Parked vehicles. Vehicles without a residential parking permit that are parked on the street during a ban may be ticketed and towed.
• How to find out. The City posts bans on ottawa.ca and sends Winter Parking Alerts by email to people who sign up.
• Posted signs still apply. When the City posts temporary No Parking signs for snow removal, they apply to every vehicle, including those with a residential parking permit, and vehicles left on the street may be ticketed and towed.

A daytime ban covers most of a normal moving day. If your plan depends on street parking and a ban is declared, find another spot for the truck (a driveway, or a private lot with the owner’s permission) or ask about a different start time or date. Read the City’s Winter Weather Parking Bans page for your date, because rules and exemptions change.

Protect floors and keep the heat on

• Floors take the worst of a winter move. Put down runners, flattened cardboard or old blankets from each entrance to the main rooms, with a mat and a towel at each door for salt and slush. When you book, ask what floor and door-frame protection the crew will bring.
• Keep the heat on in both homes. Doors will be open a lot, but an unheated empty house is how pipes freeze.
• Confirm utilities at the new home are active the day before, so there is heat and light when the truck pulls in. Arrange to transfer, not cancel, the utility accounts at your old home effective the day the new owner or landlord takes over, so the heat stays on until then.
• Keep children and pets in one warm room away from the open doors.

Pack for the cold

A moving truck’s cargo box is generally not heated, and your belongings may sit in it for a few hours. Most things handle that fine; a few don’t.

• Liquids that can freeze: paint, some cleaning products and wine can freeze, expand and leak. Use them up, give them away, or move them in a heated car.
• Houseplants: even a short trip in freezing air can damage them. Wrap them and carry them in your car.
• Electronics: let TVs, computers and consoles warm to room temperature for a few hours before you switch them on, to avoid condensation inside.
• Plastics, wood and glass: some plastics turn brittle in hard cold, and wood furniture and glass can crack with sudden temperature changes. Wrap them well, and don’t leave them in an unheated garage or truck overnight.
• Pianos and instruments: temperature swings affect tuning. Let a piano settle in its new room before you book a tuner.
• Keep with you: medication, documents, pets, valuables, chargers and a box with a kettle, snacks, toilet paper and warm clothes.

Wet snow soaks cardboard, so tape boxes well, keep them off wet floors, and cover mattresses and upholstered furniture with plastic. If you would rather hand the fragile items to our crew, professional packing help is available as a full or partial pack.

When your dates don’t line up

Winter closings and lease ends don’t always meet neatly. If your dates don’t line up, ask us about storage between moves. Ask whether one written quote can cover the moves in and out and the storage period, and ask what storage conditions apply to your items, especially anything that shouldn’t freeze.

What a winter move costs with Men In Trucks

Local moves inside Ottawa are billed by the hour. Our base hourly rates start from $150/hr for 2 movers and a truck ($195/hr for 3 movers), plus HST, and your written quote shows the exact rate for your date. Moves with 2 or 3 movers have a 3-hour minimum plus a one-hour travel fee inside Ottawa. Rates for larger crews, and for moves that start or end outside Ottawa, are set out in your quote.

In winter, snow on the route, long carries, elevator waits and last-minute packing are what add hours. Cleared paths and windrows, a saved truck spot, a confirmed elevator booking and sealed boxes keep them down. Men In Trucks is licensed and insured.

Weighing a self-move instead? Our guide to renting a truck versus hiring movers in Ottawa compares the cost, the time and the extra winter risk of driving and loading a rental truck yourself.

Frequently asked questions