After a few days of rain, mild temperatures and even some flooding, mother nature switched it up with a flash freeze. Kingstonians woke up to the city blanketed in a winter wonderland.
While the white stuff is pretty to look at, it does make for very icy and slippery conditions for both drivers and pedestrians.
Const. Steve Koopman of the City of Kingston Police says, “we’ve already (attended) 4 to 5 collisions this morning…people just simply aren’t taking the time, knowing that it’s going to take to be a bit longer to come into work or play or wherever else.”
And with streets and sidewalks full of snow, police are recommending drivers to take time while clearing away the snow off their vehicles.
“You want a clear view to the back, you also want to clear that snow off the roof and hood of your vehicle. Not only for you safety but for the safety of others behind you. With this freezing rain not only do we have the snow accumulation but the potential for an ice sheet to come off of the roof and the hood and hit a vehicle behind,” says Koopman.
Weather has been a challenge in the region since Friday. We saw over 18 millimetres of rainfall which led to flooding and power outages. Kingston utilities crews were out all day on Friday trying to restore power.
There is an extreme cold warning for the Kingston and surrounding areas that will last into Sunday. Wind chills pushing -30C are expected. These harsh conditions are favourable for more hazards onto the roads. Kingston police ask drivers to slow down and take extra time while being on the road. They also want drivers to be compassionate towards pedestrains who are walking on the road while they wait for large piles of snow to be cleared off of sidewalks.