Rain And Snow Cause Delays At Pearson
Posted December 24, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The rain and snow early Wednesday morning didn’t just cause havoc on the roads – it created huge problems at Pearson airport too.
Freezing rain and ice pellets led to delays for both arrivals and departures, affecting the approximately 65,000 passengers that are expected to pass through the airport’s doors December 24.
It sounds like a lot of travellers, but it’s actually below the daily average.
And it seems delays are following suit: around noon, PIA was reporting fewer than 50 late flights, a drop from the normal. And there were less than two dozen cancellations, which was an inconvenience for certain, but much better than Friday. On that day, more than 800 flights didn’t get off the ground.
Flights headed for the US seemed to be hampered by conditions at both ends, while trips coming in from Canadian cities were also slowed down (top left). Here at CityNews, our viewers have told us their stories. One man reported that after problems with his flight to Newfoundland, he won’t leave the city until the 27 – long after Christmas is over.
Other passengers reported their Christmas dinner would likely come from the Terminal One snack bar – their delay here meant a missed connection somewhere else.
Michael Yeung spent six months in New York, away from his mom Elsie. He arrived home Wednesday.
“My flight was cancelled last night,” he described.
“It’s nice to see the family…they bumped me up to first class!”
Though she’s been to the airport twice in as many days, Marianne Mahoney didn’t mind.
“I’m happy,” she smiled. “We’ll all be together for Christmas.”
A small fire on the tarmac (pictured below) in the early morning hours didn’t help matters
Police report that a de-icing machine overheated and began smoking. However, the blaze was quickly extinguished without causing any extra delays.
Meanwhile in Seattle, a de-icing chemical caused problems for passengers onboard an Alaska Airlines plane at Sea-Tac Airport.
About 20 people were treated for eye irritation and three of them needed to go to hospital. The crew member and two passengers are expected to be fine.
It’s not known how the fumes entered the plane.
It was the same story at Union Station, where people were hoping for better luck than they’d had at Pearson.
“We got there, and it was crazy…There were so many people. I have never seen so many people in one place,” rervealed Teresa Procopiak.
Extra cars were added to some trains to deal with holiday demand. But it wasn’t enough in some cases. The trains headed to Ottawa and Sarnia were completely sold out.
At the bus terminal, there were passengers who had booked six months in advance. And many were overwhelmed by the long line-ups.
“When I got here, it was a little anxiety-provoking the line-up was so long,” noted one weary traveller.
Check here to see if your flight has been affected.
It’s not just the airport that’s facing a crunch. Here’s how to plan your trip as the snow continues to fall:
Eyes of Toronto
See what it’s going to be like on your route using our Eyes of Toronto cameras. To pick your highway, click here.
CAA
If you run into car trouble and are a CAA member, help is a phone call or a mouse click away. But be ready to wait – response times are always longer when the weather gets bad. The agency often receives up to 500 phone calls an hour when things get really nasty.
Call (416) 222-5222 or 1-800-CAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357) to reach an operator, or click here to make your request over the web.
General Driving Info
For advice on what to do if you’re in an accident, click here.
For advice on how to drive in a blizzard or whiteout conditions and what your car emergency kit should contain, see our story here.
To find out how to control a skid, click here.
To see what police say are the most common causes of accidents in bad weather, click here.
TTC
The TTC may be the Better Way in these kinds of conditions but clogged roads and the mess on surface routes will certainly slow things down. The subways should be O.K.
Things have changed a lot on the Red Rocket over the past few winters. The Commission has redesigned its website and now posts instant information about major delays online. Find it here.
The TTC has also vowed to get tough with drivers who park on or block streetcar tracks, preventing the trolleys from getting through. So beware where you leave your vehicle.
GO Transit
GO Transit has had problems with delays and cancellations due to bad weather in the past. Check here for service updates.
