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From Town Tools. For the current version, visit https://www.towntools.org/kingston-ontario-ca/winter-parking-ban
Kingston's winter has two different parking rules, and the difference matters more than the weather does.
In January and February there is no overnight on-street parking at all — every night, snow or no snow. In December and March the City only bans it when the weather calls for it, and announces that by about 4 p.m. the same afternoon. This page tells you which rule you are under tonight, and — in the weather-based months — whether the snow in the forecast is anywhere near the level the City acts on.
Could there be a ban?
No parking ban can be called now — bans run Dec 1 – Mar 31.
Outside the season the City doesn’t declare winter parking bans. Any snow below is shown for information only. Model as of October 12 at 7:50 a.m..
The next few days
Modelled snowfall totals per day. A ban is the City’s call, not this number.
Day
Snow (model)
Reading
Monday, October 12
0 cm
Out of season
Tuesday, October 13
0 cm
Out of season
Wednesday, October 14
0 cm
Out of season
The nights that are banned outright
January and February
City-wide, you cannot park on the street from 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Around Kingston General Hospital the ban starts an hour earlier, at midnight: George Street (Stuart Street to King Street West), O'Kill Street (Barrie Street to George Street) and Stuart Street (Barrie Street to University Avenue). No announcement is made, because none is needed — the ban is on every night of both months.
A weather model, not the City’s decision
This is a weather model’s snowfall forecast — not Environment Canada’s official forecast, and not the City’s declaration. Only the City declares a parking ban, and this page will never tell you one is in effect. It shows the “as of” time above and only whether the modelled snowfall could cross the 5 cm a ban needs. Snow totals shift between model runs, and a ban is a decision, not a number — always confirm on the City’s own channels before you leave your car overnight.
How a ban works
When a ban can be called, and how you find out:
The overnight ban, whenever it applies
1 a.m. to 7 a.m. city-wide. Around Kingston General Hospital it runs from midnight to 7 a.m. on George Street (Stuart to King West), O'Kill Street (Barrie to George) and Stuart Street (Barrie to University).
December and March: announced the same afternoon
The City tries to announce a weather-based ban by 4 p.m. for the night ahead. When one is called, the restrictions are exactly the same as in January and February.
What triggers a December or March ban
The City names more than five centimetres of snow, freezing rain, and any other situation requiring winter maintenance operations. It is a decision about clearing the roads, not a snowfall total — freezing rain can bring a ban with almost no snow in it.
Why the street has to be empty
Ploughing is safer and faster without parked cars in the way. That is the whole reason for the rule, and it is why the ban is overnight rather than during the day.
How you find out about a weather-based ban
The City posts it at the top of its Winter Parking page, on its social media accounts, and by email to anyone subscribed to Parking Notices. Subscribing is the only one of the three that comes to you.
If you’re parked on a banned street
A car left on the street during a ban can be ticketed and towed. The City does not publish a single figure for what that costs, so this page does not quote one — but a tow means finding out where your car went before you can get to it in the morning.
Snowfall totals are modelled estimates for the area, not measurements, and not the City’s forecast. Weather data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Whether a ban is declared is always the City’s decision — check the official channels above.
Winter parking bans: not in season (Dec 1 – Mar 31).