After a relatively mild and snowless winter, Canada is finally set to get the blast of snow many have been waiting for.
From coast to coast to coast, Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued winter storm watches and warnings, as well as special weather statements warning of the potential for extreme cold, heavy snow and a rain-snow mix depending on where you live.
“So all areas in Canada will be really feeling the winter bite this week,” Global News meteorologist Peter Quinlan said Sunday.
Some of the winter weather is already hitting parts of the West Coast, with places like east Vancouver Island seeing snowfall that could reach up to 10 centimetres.
In the Prairies, northern Saskatchewan has an extreme cold warning with locations like Stony Rapids and Fond-du-Lac to see temperatures reaching as low as -45 C.
“The piece of the polar vortex, the arctic air that’s usually over the North Pole is going to shift over Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta,” Quinlan said. “Places like Calgary are looking at daytime highs struggling to get up to the -30s, overnight lows in the mid -30s, and early morning wind chills potentially pushing toward the -50s by the end of the week.”
Eastern Canada so far hasn’t seen the latest storms, aside from what hit this weekend, but according to Environment Canada places like Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City are all set to be hit with snowfall starting Tuesday into Wednesday morning. Depending where you live, you could see the snowfall range, with Ottawa getting around 10 to 20 cm, while other parts of Ontario could see between 15 and 30 cm.
The Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area will see a bit less, with Global News meteorologist Ross Hull forecasting snow to begin Tuesday morning for much of southern Ontario, likely at the end of the morning commute, with two to five centimetres of wet snow likely by the afternoon.
In Quebec, however, it could be even more with Quebec City among those that could witness up to 40 centimetres, while the Montreal area will likely see upwards of 15 centimetres.
The Maritimes are also expected to see snowfall on Wednesday, though exact amounts are not yet known, but the agency adds wind and rain will accompany the weather.
After getting hit by snowfall this past weekend, Halifax Regional Municipality director of emergency management Erica Fleck said they’re already preparing for the latest batch of weather.
She said in terms of preparation, officials have to look at multiple factors from the type of precipitation being seen and road conditions, to storm drains and shelter needs, especially for vulnerable populations like homeless.
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“It does change based on each event, and there is no cookie-cutter approach, per se,” she said.
Fleck added when it comes to situations like what is expected Wednesday — a mix of snow and rain — she noted with snow already on the ground there is the added risk of the snow or rain able to absorb into the ground, increasing the risk of ice on the ground.
And while many Canadians may be used to the varying conditions of where they live, Fleck said newcomers to Canada may be less informed and unsure of what they should do especially facing their first winter storm. She said there’s plenty of resources online that can be used in terms of what equipment and food you should have, but encourages those in the Halifax region to email the Halifax Regional Municipality if needed.
She added another issue that has come up in the past is people have not necessarily paid attention to how to be prepared to stay in your home during a snowstorm, or to leave if they have to evacuate.
If people lose power while hunkering down in their home, there are ways to safely do so including having tools that do not require electricity like a can opener, and food that can last without the need to be frozen or refrigerated, such as granola bars and other made-ready food.
Fleck also shared a trick with Global News in helping people determine if food that has been frozen is still OK to eat after losing power.
She said her family keeps a cup of water in their freezer with a quarter on top and during an outage, keeps the freezer door closed. Then when the power comes back on if the quarter has sunk in the water, it’s a warning that everything “has to go” because the freezer temperature grew warm enough to melt the ice and let the quarter sink, but if the quarter hasn’t moved much then the food can still be good.
“Simple things like that, just trying to teach people that’d save yourself a lot of money, especially now with the price of food people can’t afford, nobody can afford to lose food in their fridges and freezers,” she said.
There are other tips Canadians can take into account when trying to get their home ready for these winter storms, with Home Depot noting cleaning out gutters and downspouts can help avoid ice dams and ensure the proper drainage.
Another tip is ensuring your home is adequately insulated and can help prevent heat loss and protect plumbing, while sealing drafts around windows and doors can also keep in that warmth.
If the power does go out, the company notes generators may not be top of mind but can be handy in an outage. They advise, though, to speak with experts on proper usage, including the size and capacity you need, but also how to safely use them
One electrician in Beechville, N.S., John Benoit, told Global News in 2022 that there can be potential issues such as extension cords and jury-rigging that can be dangerous for home-owners. Gas-powered portable generators are also an item to be careful with, and Prince Edward Island’s emergency management coordinator warned that year that people should not use them inside due to the risk of carbon monoxide.
With Canada expecting some blustery weather ahead, airports are also monitoring the storm should there be a potential impact on air travel.
Vancouver International Airport reminded travellers to arrive early, have documents ready to go and plan ahead to ensure a smooth journey.
Toronto Pearson International Airport, meanwhile, said it is closely monitoring the storm but it does not anticipate any major disruptions to air traffic. However, it, too, urged passengers to give themselves extra travel time and to check their flight status online before leaving home.
Once parts of Canada dig out of this latest wallop, however, Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell said that at least parts of Ontario and Quebec — such as Toronto and Montreal — should expect more snow yet again this weekend with some locations even likely to see blizzard-like conditions.
—with files from Global News’ Abigail Bimman, Ross Hull and Peter Quinlan
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