Severe cold coming for Sunday after storm dumps snow across Hamilton-Niagara area
Up to 45 cm of snow is expected in some areas by the time the storm is done
A "severe" winter storm hit Hamilton Saturday, bringing high winds, heavy snow and freezing temperatures across the region — along with closures and car accidents.
Snowfalls will vary, but Hamilton will likely get 20 to 40 cm of snow by Sunday morning— possibly 45 cm in some places, said Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell. The agency was originally predicting 15 to 25 cm for the area.
Some places already had 25 cm of snow by Saturday afternoon, Kimbell said, and he expected another 10 to 15 cm in the evening. The storm is also expected to bring strong winds gusting to 60 km/hour.
"It's a severe winter storm, no question about it," said Kimbell in the afternoon, adding that the worst of the snow will likely be in the evening.
Hamilton to Grimsby was being hit the hardest, with the Mountain likely getting the heaviest snowfalls, Kimbell said.
Snowfall will be "considerably less" for areas north of Hamilton and Burlington, said Environment Canada. Niagara should also get less snow, at 15 to 25 cm, Kimbell said.
The snow began Saturday morning, and is expected to taper off later in the night
Temperature will get colder
Hamilton's Medical Officer of Health also issued a cold weather alert for Saturday evening.
Environment Canada says the temperature will continue to drop through Sunday, approaching -30 C windchill on Sunday night,
"Wind always makes it feel colder, and increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia," said the Medical Officer if Heath, urging people to check in on vulnerable family, friends and neighbours.
Storm brings car accidents, closures
Police are urging drivers to use "extreme caution" during the storm.
Accidents started happening in Hamilton Saturday morning, Hamilton Police said, with "a lot more" expected.
On Saturday, Ontario Provincial Police in the region tweeted that they had investigated more than 80 vehicle crashes.
Meanwhile, the snowy weather caused cancellations and closures in the area, with libraries, museums, recreation centres and school buildings shutting down.
Don't drive unless you have to — roads may be hard to navigate, with near zero visibility at times, Environment Canada warns.
Vehicle loses control in the snow and brings down a hydro pole at Binkley Rd & Mineral Springs Rd. Restoration will take a few hours. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamOnt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamOnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ONStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ONStorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCHamilton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBCHamilton</a> <a href="https://t.co/M6fXPzK9FL">pic.twitter.com/M6fXPzK9FL</a>
—@KeldaYuenSnow plows out all day
The city deployed snow plows early Saturday morning, said Bob Paul, Hamilton's manager of roads and maintenance, and will be clearing roads around the clock.
You can track the plows here on an online "plow tracker." You can also see a street's snow clearing priority level here.
Paul said the plows are concentrating on priority level one and two streets for now, before they get to residential roads.
"We plow something and within a couple minutes it's snow-covered again," he said.
There are around 130 plows on the street, he said, along with several other snow-clearing devices.
Don't try to pass snowplows, city says
Paul said he saw a number of drivers trying to pass snowplows on Saturday.
"It's been kind of hairy for operators," he said, urging people to be patient and give snow plows room to work.
"There's no advantage to getting ahead of a plow truck."
Paul also asks people to keep their cars off the streets so it's easier to clear the roads.
As of Saturday afternoon, Niagara Police said they have not had anything out of the ordinary in terms of accidents.
Closures and cancellations
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board closed all schools and administrative buildings for Saturday and Sunday due to the weather, including recreation programs in school gyms, continuing education programs and community rentals in HWDSB schools.
The Hamilton Public Library closed early at 2 p.m. and Hamilton civic museums were also closed today.
Hamilton recreation centres closed early, between 5-6 pm, and any evening programs were cancelled. Arenas will stay open
The Hamilton Airport is reminding people to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
The fire department also reminds people to keep exit doors free from ice and snow, he said.
Make sure outdoor vents for your furnace and water heater are clear, he said, and keep fire hydrants clear in front of your property.
How are you dealing with the winter weather? Tweet your storm photos and updates to @CBCHamilton or email hamilton@cbc.ca.
