Tuesday, February 12, 2008

GTA braces for more snow

Leo (July 23 — Aug. 22)

Before you now is the first of many bright solutions. There will soon be plenty more where this came from. Neptune's harmonious link to your ruler suggests that serendipity is on your side.

Gemini (May 21 — June 21)

You have been trying too hard, lately, to be what you imagine you ought to be rather than being who you naturally are. Dare to let the true you shine through and you will gain great admiration today.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 — Nov. 22)

Expect to discover an awkward obstacle at any moment. However, it will be one that you've already faced. Your experience will let you sidestep it this time around.

Pisces (Feb. 20 — March 20)

Dropping your guard at a crucial moment due to overconfidence is not in your character. That's good, since the promise of good news gets better the more you think about it.

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GTA braces for more snow
Some snow fell this morning but commuters to face snowy, icy roads this afternoon
February 12, 2008

Staff Reporter

It's snowing briskly in downtown Toronto now and police are warning that the rush hour on GTA highways will be treacherous and forecasters are saying that as much as 20 centimetres will be on the ground by tomorrow morning.

Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the GTA this morning.

This morning's snow was “lake effect snow” created by freezing cold winds skimming over warmer lake water.

Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said the snow that's falling now is expected to end around 2 a.m.

“It's going to snow pretty continuously in Toronto,” Coulson said. “It's (Toronto) already getting hit pretty hard and will be into the rush hour.”

Motorists driving in areas near the lake, especially around the Gardiner Expressway, are asked to be extremely cautious when heading home today.

Icy roadways will become snow-covered, making them “potentially that much more treacherous.”

Said OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley earlier this afternoon: "Anybody that looked out the window in Toronto at noon hour, they just saw the appetizer," .

Woolley predicts this afternoon’s rush hour will be slow and treacherous. It’s expected that drivers will battle poor visibility and snow drifts on the roads.

We’re expecting very poor visibility - heavy, dense snow," he said.

"It’s going to be a mess."

This morning might’ve been misleading to commuters who ventured out on the roads, Woolley says. He just hopes drivers know what they’re in for on the way home.

"This morning people thought, ’Oh it doesn’t look so bad’ and went out in their cars," he said. "We hope those people use appropriate judgment at hometime."

Woolley urges motorists whose vehicles are not winter ready or are not confident driving in wintery conditions to take transit home tonight.

"If you don’t have the skills, experience and confidence to travel safely in the winter, and if your car doesn’t have four decent winter tires - stay away," he said.

During last Wednesday’s storm, Woolley said the OPP responded to approximately 100 motorists whose vehicles had either stalled or run out of fuel.

Extra officers from the traffic support unit will be on call tonight, he said. The OPP has also been in touch with snow removal and towing companies in preparation for tonight, Woolley added.

He warned motorists to watch out for the winds.

"Wind also tends to pack the snow and packs it densely so it can knock cars out of control," he said.

"It’s not like driving into a pile of feathers. It’s like driving into wet cement or sand."

Pedestrians, meanwhile, are also being asked to be careful walking on already icy sidewalks that only get more slippery when they get coated with snow.

Since temperatures have remained below zero this past week, snow from last Wednesday’s icy blizzard did not melt.

After today’s snowfall, about 70 cm will have been dumped on Toronto in February alone.

Toronto typically gets 22 cm of snow in February, Coulson said.

“It's almost the idea of insult to injury after having gotten so much snow this month.”

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