Pre-Winter Storm Continues To Pound GTA
Posted December 2, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It wasn’t just hype – the weather forecasters were right.
Much of the Greater Toronto Area was blanketed with at least 10cm of snow Sunday and Environment Canada is reporting that after all is said and done some areas ended up with anywhere between 15cm to 30cm of the white stuff. Some places were even hit with ice pellets and freezing rain, with T.O.’s downtown core being one of those places.
Needless to say, getting around the city was a nightmare Sunday and drivers should expect it to be even worse Monday morning. Driving conditions are so treacherous the OPP advises motorists to be extra cautious especially on exit ramps, bridges and overpasses. Of course your best bet is to stay put and just avoid getting behind the wheel altogether.
“As the temperature drops you’re going to have to pay more attention to your driving,” warns Sgt. Scott Collins, Toronto Police Traffic Services. “Obviously the roads will start to ice over, so we have to leave a little more distance between vehicles.
And if you are opting to take public transit, you can be sure to expect some major delays. GO buses were running 45 minutes late and trains along the Lakeshore line were about 20 minutes behind schedule for most of Sunday. Some trains have also been cancelled. (Click here for the status on GO bus and train services).
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for VIA Rail said customers shouldn’t anticipate any major setbacks. (Click here for VIA schedules). Greyhound reported frequent 15-minute delays. (Click here for more Greyhound travel info).
“In most cases, snow doesn’t hamper our service in terms of having to cancel. At the most there might be delays of up to 45 minutes,” said VIA’s Catharine Kaloutsky.
And one thing you’ll need to pack if you’re scheduled to take a flight out of Pearson International is a lot of patience. Some flights are getting out but most are delayed or cancelled. You’ll definitely want to call your airline ahead of time. On the flip side, if you’re expecting someone to arrive to the airport you’ll also want to put in a phone call or check here for online flight info.
The good news is that snow plows are out on the major routes but side streets will take longer to be cleared. In town many sidewalks weren’t clear by late Sunday so pedestrians were often choosing to walk on the roads, adding yet another obstacle for motorists. Ontario Provincial Police reported more than 460 accidents since the snow began to fall late Saturday, a number that will almost certainly climb as freezing rain dumps down during Monday’s commute.
And when it snows again – which it will, something for home and property owners to keep in mind is that you have 12 hours after the snow stops falling to clear the sidewalk in front of your home or you could face a City fine of about $105.
So far the OPP have reported almost 200 traffic collisions since the storm began late Saturday. They also reported several incidents involving plows resulting from impatient drivers trying to skirt around them.
“People that are crashing are simply going way too fast for the conditions,” said OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley, who also reminded motorists that on a wintry day a safe driving distance is three to four times what it normally would be.
Click here to track the storm and get your full weather forecast.
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