November’s most significant snowfall so far has contributed to at least 25 vehicle collisions on local roads during the Thursday evening commute, according to the official York Regional Police Twitter account.
“They (accident reports) are coming in faster than we can respond,” York police tweeted about 6 p.m. last night. “SLOW DOWN & be safe.”
Some of the collisions appeared to involve vehicles skidding on the roadways and hitting nearby trees, due to the snowy conditions that reduced visibility and, in some cases, unexpected icy patches. Bridges and overpasses throughout the region were reported as icy.
Other incidents involved two-vehicle fender benders where drivers lost control on the wintery roads. York police reported no, or minor, injuries in a majority of cases, however, there were reports of vehicle rollovers, vehicles slamming into hydro poles, a vehicle on fire, and vehicles colliding with buses.
Light to moderate snowfall is expected to continue this morning, with snow turning to drizzle throughout the day as the temperature edges above 0 Celsius. That’s expected to create slushy road conditions that require extra care, York Police advises.
While the Environment Canada winter weather travel advisory issued yesterday has ended, that weather event that brought between five to 10 centimetres of snow to most parts of the region is expected to see accumulation continue today, possibly upward of an additional five centimetres, the weather agency said this morning.
Meanwhile, the Regional Municipality of York’s sand and salt trucks were out last night plowing the region’s roads, removing snow, sanding and using salt-brine to help prevent ice build-up. Road conditions are monitored 24 hours a day, the region said.
“York Region uses a road weather information system to track rain, snow and ice and GPS tracking to maximize the effectiveness of the winter maintenance fleet before, during and after winter storms,” it stated in a media release. “In addition, patrol vehicles are equipped with sensors to gauge the temperature of the road surface to better identify when roads may need to be treated.”
All plow trucks are equipped with electronic spreader controls to help ensure the right amount of anti-ice materials are released at the right time and in the right place, minimizing impacts of salt to the environment.
Here are some tips from the region to keep you safe on winter roads:
- Stay off roads, if possible, during extreme weather condition
- Give yourself extra time to get to your destination
- Have winter tires on your vehicle
- Clear snow, ice and frost from all windows, headlights, tail lights and roof
- Make sure your windshield fluid and vehicle fuel is topped up
- Carry a roadside emergency kit
- Pedestrians should be visible and be seen
- Drivers need to slow down and respect pedestrians crossing the road
If you have to be on the road, give plows plenty of room:
- Drive a safe distance behind the plow; you may see them but they may not see you if you are following too closely
- Only pass snow removal vehicles when a safe passing area is available and the lane is clear of snow or treated with salt or sand; do not pass on the right
- When passing a plow, be sure to leave plenty of space; plows are wider than most vehicles and portions of the plow and blade may be obscured by blowing snow
- Don’t travel beside a plow; they can shift sideways after moving snow drifts
Although Environment Canada doesn’t issue its winter weather outlook for 2018-2019 until Dec. 1, senior climatologist Dave Phillips shared some predictions recently with NewmarketToday.
Phillips said there’s a winter weather war heating up between the Pacific blob and El Niño.
While not nearly as terrifying as it sounds, the large swath of warm water off the coast of British Columbia known as the blob was responsible for pretty much cancelling winter there and in parts of Alberta in 2014-2015. It was one of the warmest winters on record with virtually no skiing in the Rockies.
But the presence of the blob on Canada’s West Coast then, as now, means the polar opposite for winter weather in southern Ontario, including York Region.
“The blob could disappear, it seems to change every day, and it seems to be a little bit weaker,” Phillips said. “If it gets mixed up with some colder water below, it'll diffuse the warmer air above, but I can't give you anything that's clear or absolutely certain. It may clarify itself at the end of November.”
There's also something else that has Phillips a little perplexed about the upcoming winter.
“Right now, we're seeing a weak El Niño situation, which most people consider to be a scourge because it typically means drought in some parts of the world and floods in others,” Phillips said. “For us, it usually indicates a milder than normal winter.”
A strong El Niño indicates the possibility of warmer, southerly air and less ice cold Siberian or Arctic air.
For climatologists, December to February weather is what’s considered winter. What Newmarket has seen this week with its first snow squall alert and dusting here and there of snow more like a “winter trailer”, Phillips said.
The Farmers’ Almanac predicts a brutally cold winter for 2018-2019, much the same as last year only not as long, but Phillips disagrees.
Here is the “unofficial” winter weather outlook, according to Phillips:
“Well, we think it will be milder than normal. The El Niño is weak and therefore your batting averages are not going to be as high as they normally would be. When we look back at other El Niño years in Newmarket and York Region, we tend to find that those winters were moderate.
“I think the winter is going to be shorter. I think it's going to be over in March. I think April will be more spring-like and it'll certainly be better than last year. I think the snow we’re seeing so far in November is not the snow that'll give you your white Christmas. This is not snow that’ll be staying on, this is just a teaser. It's a way of nature reminding you to stop procrastinating, put the lawn furniture away and get your snow tires on.”
“I think the unknown is that blob and who's going to win that war. Is it going to be El Niño or is it going to be the Pacific blob? If it's the Pacific blob, we might see a colder-than-normal winter. If it's the El Niño, then we’ll clearly see a milder winter than last year and certainly, in all cases, it will be shorter.”