Great Outlook for Holiday

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Courtesy of Zenwaiter

Quebec brace for 'snowmageddon'

DIANA MEHTA

December 19, 2008

They're calling it "Snowmageddon."

Environment Canada is warning residents in Ontario, Quebec and the eastern provinces to prepare for a series of storms starting today.

"It's the unrelenting nature of you get hit, get a break, and get hit again," said Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

The Windsor area will be the first hit as snow falling across Southern Ontario and some of Quebec this morning continues until early evening. The low-pressure system will continue moving east through the day, Mr. Coulson said.

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Saturday will be clear, providing an opportunity for weekend travel, before the snow starts to fall yet again with a second storm on Sunday, he added.

Early Monday morning will signal the end of the storms in Ontario for the moment, he said, but temperatures in the GTA will dip down to -20 with the wind chill.

Montreal and Ottawa are likely to receive just a dusting today, but will see more snow from Sunday's storm. The Ottawa Valley is being warned of low visibility and more chilly temperatures, Mr. Coulson said.

Quebec City and PEI will also receive some snow as Sunday's storm moves toward the ocean.

Toronto is likely to receive up to 15 centimetres of snow today and another 15 cm on Sunday, with varying periods of blowing and drifting snow.

Surrounding areas such as Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington on the western lakeshore could receive up to 25 cm by the end of the day.

But Toronto officials say they're prepared to battle the storms.

"We're ready for it," said Peter Noehammer, director of city transportation services, adding that GTA residents were encouraged to take transit during the storms.

According to Mr. Noehammer, salting and plowing operations will start early this morning and continue until evening, when cleanup activities begin on main roads and local streets. Crews will clear today's snowfall by Saturday, just in time for Sunday's dumping. "We'll be running continually for much of the weekend," Mr. Noehammer said.

Brockville, Ont., a city within dumping range of the storms, isn't daunted by the forecast, according to public works supervisor Russ Fraser.

"Unless we get 40 or 50 centimetres, it's not going to be anything out of the ordinary," he said, adding that regular snow-operations crews would still be on standby all weekend.

The Maritimes and Newfoundland will feel the effects of the storms on Monday as the systems move further east. According to Mr. Coulson, Maritimers might have to shovel up to 30 cm of snow at the start of next week.

"We are prepared for winter here and if the storm comes we'll deal with it," said Paul Mackey, director of public works with the city of St. John's.

According to Mr. Mackey, the city's winter has been unusually mild so far, but snow crews were nonetheless ready to jump into action when needed.

Meanwhile, the western provinces will get away with just a few flurries but will continue to experience a bone-chilling deep freeze.

Alberta is set to experience a high of only -24 this weekend, with temperatures at least eight degrees colder than normal lows for this time of the year, Mr. Coulson said.

But the weekend storms aren't the end of the story.

Another brewing weather system could bring more prolonged snow to Southern Ontario on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mr. Coulson said.

"It almost seems like this parade of lows is inexhaustible," he said.