A winter storm will make commuting tricky. Are you ready for the shift?
Many parts of Canada are set to get their first significant taste of winter snow this year with what’s expected to be a major storm ready to play out.
Across the country on Tuesday, Environment Canada has winter storm watches and warnings in place, as well as special weather statements warning of the potential for extreme cold, heavy snow and a rain-snow mix in certain areas.
These conditions, especially when they arrive for the first time of the season, can catch commuters off guard and they need to adjust, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said.
“A lot of it is just people getting caught by surprise, not understanding how different the road conditions are with the rain, snow, ice – and how that changes your ability to stay in control,” he told Global News.
“We often see much more collisions; often they’re fender-benders and single-vehicle crashes or minor collisions, but they’re absolutely preventable.”
After what felt like a mild start to winter in most parts of the country, Canadians this week will finally experience the inevitable.
“All areas in Canada will be really feeling the winter bite this week,” Global News meteorologist Peter Quinlan said on Sunday.
Some of the winter weather is already hitting parts of the West Coast, and in the Prairies, northern Saskatchewan has an extreme cold warning with locations like Stony Rapids and Fond-du-Lac to see temperatures reaching as low as -45 C.
Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City are all set to be hit with snowfall starting Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Snowfall amounts will range depending on where you live, with Ottawa getting around 10 to 20 centimetres, while other parts of Ontario could see between 15 and 30 centimetres.
The Greater Toronto-Hamilton
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