Advisory, not automatic
A forecast can flag a visit for review, but it does not on its own start, finish or cancel work. A person confirms the change.
Weather & service
How weather changes your service.
Outdoor work happens in real weather, so weather is part of how we schedule and how we keep crews and properties safe. This page explains, honestly, how a forecast affects your service — what can move a visit, who decides, and how we tell you when something changes.
Weather forecasts are advisory inputs that help us plan — they are never proof that a property was serviced. Completed work is recorded from the visit itself, not inferred from the weather. If a weather data source is unavailable or wrong, that never silently creates a visit that did not happen or cancels one that should occur; a person stays in the loop.
The basics
Advisory inputs, human decisions
A forecast helps us plan and keep crews safe — it never, on its own, records or cancels a visit. A person stays accountable for every change.
Safety first
When conditions are genuinely unsafe, a visit is placed on hold. We would rather move a visit than send a crew into unsafe weather.
You are told what changed
Every weather-driven change comes with a plain-language notice — what moved, and what to expect next.
Windows, not exact times
Weather moves a visit inside its window (next service day, or within the season), never to a promised exact time we cannot keep.
When a visit goes on hold
What can move or hold a visit
Some conditions make outdoor work unsafe or ineffective. When they do, a visit is placed on hold rather than forced through.
- Dangerous heat or poor air quality that makes outdoor work unsafe for the crew
- Lightning or severe storms in the area
- Frozen, icy or waterlogged ground that makes the work unsafe or ineffective
- High winds or conditions that make equipment unsafe to run
A person can override
A hold is a starting position, not the last word. The Greenline member or dispatcher can override a weather hold with a recorded reason — for example local conditions being clearly safe when a regional forecast was not — so a real person is always accountable for the call.
You’re told what changed
When weather changes your service, you get a plain-language notice of what changed and what happens next — for example that a visit moved to the next service day, or that a snow event is being cleared on a route. We aim to explain the change in ordinary words, not codes.
Windows, not exact times
Weather shifts a visit within its agreed window rather than promising an exact time. A recurring visit moves to the next service day; a seasonal visit stays inside its season window. We do not promise a precise arrival time and then blame the weather.
Snow service
How snow service works
Snow service works differently from a scheduled visit: it is triggered by the weather, not by a clock. This is what a snow-service event is, when it starts, what is covered and what it does — and does not — promise.
- What counts as a service event
- A service event begins when snowfall reaches the accumulation trigger agreed in your plan — for example a set number of centimetres. Light dustings below the trigger are not service events unless your plan says so.
- The accumulation trigger
- Service is based on an agreed accumulation threshold, not a fixed time of day. The trigger is set when your property is qualified and written into your plan.
- Covered surfaces
- Only the surfaces listed in your plan — typically the agreed driveway and walkways. Surfaces not listed (roofs, decks, surfaces at height) are not part of the service.
- Service window from the trigger
- The service window is measured from when the trigger is met, not from a universal clock. During a storm we clear qualified properties on a route, so timing depends on the storm and the route — there is no guaranteed arrival time.
- Repeated accumulation
- In long or back-to-back storms, snow can keep accumulating and cross the trigger again. Repeated accumulation can create additional visits and additional charges, as set out in your plan.
- De-icing material and limits
- De-icing material is applied to the agreed surfaces to reduce ice. Application has limits — extreme cold, freeze-thaw and ongoing snowfall reduce how effective any de-icer can be.
- Return visits and the municipal plow
- We return after the storm if accumulation continues. A municipal plow can leave a windrow of packed snow at the driveway apron after we clear; clearing that windrow is an add-on, not part of the base pass.
Your part
What we need from you in winter
Snow service works best when the property is ready for it before the trigger is met.
- Move vehicles and obstacles off the driveway and walkways before the trigger time
- Mark edges, delicate features and low objects before the season so they are not hit under snow
- Provide a place on the property where cleared snow can be piled
- Keep the account details current so weather notices reach you
Snow service reduces snow and ice on the agreed surfaces — it does not guarantee bare pavement and does not eliminate the risk of slipping. Winter surfaces can be hazardous even after clearing and de-icing, so please continue to take care. This service does not transfer responsibility for winter conditions away from the property owner.
Plan ahead
Questions about weather and your service?
Tell us about the property and the season you’re planning for. We’ll set out how weather affects the service in your written quote or seasonal plan.
Request property care