Record Snowfall Wallops Canada...

[Logan13]

Record Snowfall Wallops Canada...
drudge report
Ottawa residents and snow removal crews continue to dig out from a record-breaking snowfall.

"You can brag to the grandchildren that you lived through the biggest snowfall ever ever in Ottawa," said Environment Canada meteorologist David Phillips.

In total, 37 cms was reported to have fallen in the weekend storm. That sets a record for the most snow in a single December day since Environment Canada started keeping records in 1938.

It breaks the record of 30.4 cm of snow from Dec. 21, 1977. The most in a single 24-hour period remains 40.4 cms on March 2, 1947.

School buses were cancelled Monday but schools remained open.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Ottawa Catholic School Board and the Upper Canada school board cancelled buses. School bus transportation and daycare in the Portages de l'Outaouais School Board was still open.

The morning commute was very slow going but no major accidents reported.
City-run and private snow companies have been working long hours to try to catch up.
"It's been absolutely the craziest day I've ever had bvehind a plow," said Stephane Beaudoin, the owner of Snow-X, an Ottawa-based plow company.

Beaudoin and his crew, who clear mainly commercial parking lots, expected to be working for at least 36 hours straight after starting early Sunday morning.

"I've been out as much in December as I was all last year," he said.
Currently, there is 75 cm of snow on the ground in Ottawa, Phillips said. That's the most snow that has ever been on the ground at one time since Environment Canada started keeping track in 1955.

The previousrecord was 68 cm in 1977.
"Unless there's a monsoon you're now guaranteed to have a white Christmas," Phillips said. "Even the biggest grinch should like that."

City work crews - 500 people and 400 pieces of equipment - continue working at plou***ng the main roads, arterial roadways and bus routes. The winter parking ban remains in effect.

The winter storm will impact garbage pickup, delaying it by one day everywhere in the city.
"This means that there will be no garbage pickup Monday, and everywhere it will be a day later than usual," said Deputy City Manager Richard Hewitt. "We know there will be delays plou***ng the residential roads and sidewalks. Please take transit or work from home."

The Ottawa International Airport is almost back to normal after minor delays Sunday. "The system is getting back on its feet," said Krista Kealey, spokesperson for the Ottawa Airport.

CAA was experiencing Monday delays of up to 90 minutes, trying to get to vehicles that needed to be towed. Because of road conditions, CAA said they will only tow vehicles a maximum of 10 kilometres.

Some light flurries are expected today, Wednesday, and Friday, Phillips said.
The total cumlative snowfall so far this year is 148 centimetres, including almost 90 cm in December. This time last year only 18 cms had fallen.

On Sunday, residents were being advised to stay indoors as the massive winter storm rolled its way into Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, creating havoc on the highways.

"Stay at home," Const. Kevin Davidson of the Ontario Provincial Police said Sunday morning. "Don't travel unless you absolutely have to."

Freezing rain, snow, and heavy winds smothered the region as a potentially record-breaking storm headed north and east from the United States.

On Monday morning, the highway closed near Kingston after a multi-vehicle pile-up.
Ontario Provincial Policewere called to the scene early Monday morning, where two tractor trailers collided with four other vehicles. One of the transport trucks leaked 300 litres of fuel into a nearby creak, and the Ministry of Environment has been called in to investigate.

One person was sent to hospital with non life threatening injuries. Traffic was reportedly backed up as much as 30 kilometres outside of Kingston. The OPP have set up a detour at County Road 6. The highway is expected to be open around the noon hour.

Seven tractor trailers and several cars were involved in a crash at about 10:30 a.m. on the 401 in Cornwall, closing the westbound lanes between Boundary and McConnell roads. There were no injuries.

Vehicles were colliding and sliding off roads all morning Sunday, said Const. Davidson. Between 4 a.m. Sunday and noon there were more than 70 accidents in Eastern Ontario alone, the OPP reported. "It's a mess," he said. "It's a good old-fashioned winter mess."

Blustery winds in the nation's capital produced blizzard conditions Sunday morning. Heavy snow began falling there around 9 a.m. and the winds were blowing at a speed of 37 km/h.

Hydro Ottawa had not received reports of power outages by early Sunday afternoon. Hydro One went ahead with planned morning outages in the Navan area, despite the storm, as work crews completed the final phase of a relaibility project.

[ActionForever]

Tell me about it...Living in Southern Canada it hit us f***g hard...But not as hard as Ottawa...

[Red Ketchup]

37cm? Ha! Whimps!

I was working at the station during the storm and the next morning my car had snow up to it's windows! That was just from snowfall and snowdrifts. Took me a bloody hour to dig out my car...

Did I ever mention I really freakin hate winter with a passion?

Red

[Kärnfysikern]

God I miss real winters.

[Red Ketchup]

Here is a photo from my walk to work yesterday morning for ya Johan...



The sidewalk is a freakin trench! It's only our second snowfall this year... it's going to be a rough winter!

Red

[Logan13]

Here is a photo from my walk to work yesterday morning for ya Johan...



The sidewalk is a freakin trench! It's only our second snowfall this year... it's going to be a rough winter!

Red

That bad thing is that it won't officially be winter until Friday!

[Kärnfysikern]

Here is a photo from my walk to work yesterday morning for ya Johan...



The sidewalk is a freakin trench! It's only our second snowfall this year... it's going to be a rough winter!

Red

Ahh snow rules! I HATE southern sweden, it just ****ing rain all the time. Il take a meter of snow over a drop of rain anytime.

[RA]

37cm? Ha! Whimps!

I was working at the station during the storm and the next morning my car had snow up to it's windows! That was just from snowfall and snowdrifts. Took me a bloody hour to dig out my car...

Did I ever mention I really freakin hate winter with a passion?

Red

Thats what I was thinking...about 5 years ago we had 95 inches in one week around Christmas. After snowblowing all day(every day) I got up on the roof and shoveled so it wouldnt cave in..

[Hoggage_54]

It's raining here now and most of the snow is gone

[wantmoremass]

i love living on the west coast :-)