Introduction
Winter festivals offer a unique blend of magic and challenge. Picture a snowy music festival or holiday market – the scenery is enchanting, but heavy snow can quickly turn into a serious safety hazard. One critical concern is emergency egress: ensuring that all attendees can evacuate quickly and safely if something goes wrong. Snowbanks and icy pathways must not become barriers when every second counts (therma-hexx.com). History has shown that blocked or bottlenecked exits can lead to tragedy, even in fair weather. In winter conditions, meticulous planning and extra precautions are vital to keep exits clear and functional for any emergency.
Experienced festival organizers worldwide emphasise proactive winter safety measures. For example, the Tomorrowland Winter festival in the French Alps encountered a severe snowstorm in 2019 – ski lifts shut down, stranding hundreds on the mountain. The organisers had to mobilise six snow groomers (bobcat vehicles) to evacuate 250 attendees from mountaintop venues (www.edmtunes.com). Meanwhile, in North America, Burning Man 2023 (though not a winter event) illustrated how impassable routes can trap tens of thousands of people when heavy rain turned the desert to mud (edition.cnn.com). The lesson is clear: whether it’s mud or snow, you must rigorously maintain emergency routes. Successful winter festivals – from Canada’s Québec Winter Carnival to Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival – invest heavily in snow management to keep their crowds safe. They plough fresh snowfall continuously, build in redundancy for lighting and signage, and even rehearse evacuation procedures in snowy conditions.
This guide distills decades of hard-earned wisdom into practical steps for keeping emergency egress routes open through snowbanks. These tips apply to winter festivals of any scale, whether a local community ice-fishing derby or a massive international music festival at a ski resort. By going above and beyond the bare minimum requirements, festival producers can ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for everyone – no matter how high the snow piles get.
Plough Egress Lanes Wider Than the Minimum
Snowy conditions demand that egress lanes (emergency exit pathways) be cleared significantly wider than code minimum requirements. Building and fire codes set a baseline egress width for safety, but in winter those minimums are just that – minimums. Snow and ice buildup can quickly shrink a path that only meets the minimum width. Pushing back snowbanks an extra few feet on each side creates a buffer so the route stays usable even if snow slides or drifts back in. For instance, if local regulations call for a 10-foot (3 m) wide fire exit path for your crowd size, consider ploughing 15 feet (4.5 m) or more and regularly re-clearing to maintain that width.
Why go wider? First, people in bulky winter clothing occupy more space, and they move slower on slippery ground. A wider exit lane prevents bottlenecks when a crowd is hurriedly exiting in coats and boots. Second, wider clearance accounts for the unexpected – you might need to get emergency vehicles or sled stretchers in while attendees are heading out. The extra width provides room for two-way traffic if needed, as well as space for attendees who might stumble or need assistance. Critically, fire and life safety codes explicitly require that exits be kept free of obstructions like snow and ice (therma-hexx.com), so exceeding the minimum is a best practice to ensure compliance at all times.
Snowbanks should be pushed well back from gates and exit doors. Avoid creating canyon-like corridors where high snow walls loom immediately beside the egress path – those can collapse or constrict the route. Instead, haul away excess snow or distribute it far enough from pathways that it won’t encroach. For example: At the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China, organisers use trucks to actively remove snow accumulations from spectator areas each morning, rather than just shovelling it to the side. This keeps pathways open to their full width despite nightly snowfall. Similarly, the team behind Norway’s Røros Winter Market coordinates with city ploughs to clear surrounding streets wider than usual, giving festival crowds ample room to exit marketplaces safely.
Small-scale winter events should also heed this advice. Even if you’re running a local ice rink party with a few hundred attendees, don’t assume a single narrow shoveled walkway out to the car park is enough. If a sudden evacuation is needed, you’ll be glad you cleared a wide swath of snow. And remember, a wider path also means you can accommodate attendees with mobility aids (wheelchairs, strollers, walkers) more easily during an evacuation. The goal is to have egress routes so clear and spacious that even at full capacity, everyone can get out without tripping over snow or each other.
Station Snow Removal Crews and Equipment at Every Exit
When a blizzard hits or snow builds up over a long festival day, you need immediate action at all exits. The best way to achieve this is by staging snow removal tools and trained crews at every egress point. Do not rely on a single maintenance team to race around a large site; in an emergency, they won’t reach all areas in time. Instead, assign a dedicated “snow crew” for each critical gate, emergency exit, and high-traffic doorway.
Equip each exit crew with shovels, snow blowers, ice scrapers, and salt/grit as appropriate. The equipment should be stored nearby (in a heated box or under tarp) and fuelled up, ready to go at a moment’s notice. For large festivals, petrol-powered snow blowers or even a Bobcat mini-plough stationed near exits can clear deep snow quickly. Smaller events might station heavy-duty push shovels or manual ploughs at exits for volunteers to use. The key is that within seconds of deciding to evacuate (or when snowfall is overwhelming), staff can grab tools and start clearing while the evacuation is underway. You don’t want attendees bottlenecked at a gate because a snowdrift formed there mid-event and nobody is immediately available to clear it.
Clearly assign roles in advance. Each crew should know their responsibility and practice it. For example, Gate 1’s crew might include four staff: two operate the snow blower and shovels to widen the path, one spreads salt for de-icing, and another directs evacuees with a flashlight. Gate 2 might have a similar team. By assigning crews to specific exits, each team takes ownership of “their” gate’s condition throughout the event. This means routinely shovelling and de-icing during the festival, not just during emergencies. Rotate crew members on breaks so that someone is always alert and ready at each location.
Importantly, ensure your snow teams are properly dressed and equipped for the task – warm, high-visibility jackets, gloves, boots with good traction, and headlamps. They should be able to work in severe cold or blowing snow. Some festivals even provide small tents or windbreaks near exits for crew shelter when not actively clearing, so they can stay warm and respond immediately when needed. Staff safety is paramount; shovelling heavy snow is strenuous, so plan for relief staff if conditions persist (to avoid exhaustion or injury in your crew).
Real-world example: Montreal’s Igloofest, an outdoor electronic music festival in the dead of winter, keeps its exit pathways constantly maintained by stationing volunteers with shovels at each gate. The moment snow starts accumulating, teams at each exit fan out to shovel and grit the paths, preventing build-up. Likewise, at the Quebec Winter Carnival, organisers coordinate with city workers and have festival-hired crews specifically focusing on clearing exit routes during parades and night events. This level of preparedness not only keeps attendees safe but also gives local fire authorities confidence that emergency access will be maintained no matter the weather.
Illuminate and Mark Escape Routes Clearly (with Redundancy)
Darkness comes early in winter, and heavy snow can knock out power or visibility, so robust lighting and marking of egress routes is essential. Festival producers should use multiple, redundant light sources and high-visibility markers to ensure exits are easy to find and navigate, even in a white-out blizzard at night.
Start with strong primary lighting: e.g. pole-mounted LED flood lights or strings of weather-proof lights illuminating all major exit corridors. Power these lights on separate circuits or generators so that a failure in one system doesn’t plunge the route into darkness. For instance, run some lights on grid power and have others on a backup generator, or use battery-powered LED towers as a fail-safe. Redundancy is key – if one light fails, others still illuminate the way. Test that your emergency lighting can handle cold temperatures; some batteries perform poorly in extreme cold, so use cold-rated equipment or keep spares warm until needed.
In addition to overhead lighting, mark the path itself. Reflective and luminescent markers can guide people when snow is swirling or if lights fail. Consider lining the edges of egress lanes with tall stakes or poles with reflective tape or flags (tall enough to stick out above deep snow). These act like highway snow poles, delineating the route even if snow covers the ground markings. Many festivals also use LED rope lights or string lights along the ground to outline exit pathways – if snow partially buries them, they’ll create an eerie glow through the snow that still guides feet. Photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) strips on railings, stairs, or along tent exit flaps are another great tool; they charge under the lights and then glow if lights go out, showing people where to go (www.jaliteasia.com).
Don’t forget signage and signals. Exit signs should be above the anticipated snow height and lit. Use large banners or flags labeled “EXIT” that contrast with white snow (fluorescent colours work well). In a chaotic evacuation, staff or volunteers can also actively guide people – equip them with flashlights and reflective vests. At some alpine events, staff are given illuminated baton wands (like airport marshalling wands) so they can be seen through a snowstorm while directing crowds to safety.
Plan for worst-case scenarios: for example, if a blizzard knocks out all your generator lights, do you have flashlights or lanterns for staff to deploy? Chemical light sticks (glow sticks) can be a cheap, waterproof backup – you could store bins of high-intensity glow sticks at exits to crack open and throw along the path, instantly providing points of light in an outage. Redundancy also means thinking of accessibility: illuminate not just the main paths but any secondary escape routes or accessible ramps. In summary, festival-goers should never have to guess where the exit is – bright lights, clear markers, and multiple backups ensure your egress routes remain visible through darkness, snow, or power loss.
Practise Evacuation Drills in Snowy Conditions
Paper plans are not enough – practising your emergency evacuation in realistic conditions is the only way to verify that your preparations actually work. Many veteran winter festival producers incorporate partial evacuation drills after a snowfall to test their egress routes and train their staff. This might involve clearing a section of the festival or simulating an emergency in one zone to watch how the evacuation flows.
Why drill? Because snow changes the game. You might discover unexpected bottlenecks or hazards once people actually try to move through a snowy environment. Perhaps an exit gate’s clearance is narrower than it looked, or ice causes people to slip at a particular corner, or the time to move the crowd is much slower than anticipated. A controlled drill lets you find and fix these issues before a real emergency. As one festival organizer noted from experience, “We had a situation last year where a small fire broke out near the food vendors. Luckily, we had practised our evacuation drill just a week before.” (xtix.ai) That recent practice meant staff knew exactly what to do, and the evacuation was smooth and safe. The same principle applies to snow emergencies: drills build muscle memory and confidence.
How to conduct a snow evacuation drill? Ideally, involve your key security and operations staff, and even some volunteers or crew to act as attendees. For example, after a fresh overnight snowfall, you might run a morning exercise: announce that the north side of the festival grounds needs to evacuate as a test. Have staff role-play helping attendees out, use your PA system to direct “crowds,” and have your snow crews respond as if it’s real – start clearing exits and guiding people along routes. Time how long it takes and note any trouble spots. You could also practise specific scenarios, like evacuating an artist area, VIP section, or parking lot, which might reveal if those paths are adequately cleared.
Involving local emergency services in drills can be extremely beneficial. Invite the fire marshal or emergency management officials to observe or participate – they can offer feedback and will appreciate your proactive approach. Some ski resort-based festivals coordinate with ski patrol or mountain rescue teams to do a joint evacuation exercise, ensuring that if a sudden storm hits, everyone knows their role.
If doing a full drill with attendees isn’t feasible, at least do an after-hours walk-through: have staff simulate an evacuation at night in the snow. Practise communications (is your radio network working in bad weather?), designate responsibilities (who decides to call an evacuation, who triggers alarms, who mans each exit), and practice emergency announcements so they are clear and audible. Each practice run will improve your team’s readiness and highlight any procedural gaps. For instance, a drill might reveal that the team at Gate 3 took too long to get their snow blower started – a cue to refuel it and keep it warmer, or to station it differently.
Finally, treat each snowfall as a live test even if you don’t run a full drill. After a heavy snow, before guests arrive or while they are fewer on site, have your crews clear paths and then have a few staff walk the emergency routes as if evacuating. This casual “partial evacuation” walkthrough can still reveal issues like a newly formed snowbank that blocks a shortcut exit, or an exit door that has frozen shut. Catching those issues early means you can address them (shovel that snowbank aside, de-ice the door) long before any real emergency.
The bottom line: practice makes perfect. By rehearsing what to do when it snows, your team will react faster and more effectively when every minute matters. Regular drills also reinforce a culture of safety first, showing everyone – staff and attendees alike – that the festival takes emergency planning seriously.
Key Takeaways
- Plough evacuation routes extra-wide: Clear snow wider than code minimums for all egress paths, providing a buffer so exits remain usable even as snow accumulates.
- Dedicated exit snow teams: Station shovels, snow blowers, and trained crews at every gate or emergency exit. Assign them to continuously clear and maintain those routes, and respond instantly during an evacuation.
- Redundant lighting and markers: Illuminate exit pathways with backup lighting (generators, battery lights) and use reflective or glow-in-the-dark markers. Ensure exits are highly visible in the dark or blinding snow, even if primary power fails.
- Regular snow evacuation drills: Practise evacuations in snowy conditions with your staff (and attendees if possible). Drills will expose any weak points in your plan – allowing you to fix issues and build staff confidence before a real emergency.
25th August 2025