Flights grounded, power restored as Newfoundland cleans up after winter blast

By The Canadian Press - Saturday, January 12, 2013 at 3:55 PM - 0 Comments

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Plows will be clearing the streets of Newfoundland’s capital for several days after a blast of winter brought nearly 50 centimetres to the region on Friday, grounding flights and knocking out power for thousands.

Paul Mackey, the city’s director of Public Works and Parks, says roads in St. John’s were accessible by at least one lane on Saturday morning.

He says crews will be working to widen the streets for the next several days.

The St. John’s International Airport says on its website it will remain closed to air traffic until midnight Sunday, citing an “incredible amount” of heavy, wet snow.

Michele Coughlan of Newfoundland Power says about 2,700 are still in the dark on the Avalon Peninsula and in central Newfoundland, down from about 65,000 on Friday.

The city’s airport had recorded wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres an hour and 48 centimetres of snow before it changed to freezing drizzle Friday.

Updated: Thousands without power after nor’easter blasts Maritimes

By The Canadian Press - Sunday, December 30, 2012 at 3:00 PM - 0 Comments

HALIFAX – The Maritime provinces were grappling with heavy snowfall, blowing snow and rain that knocked out power for thousands and grounded flights on Sunday.

Environment Canada said the intense nor’easter brought nearly 40 centimetres of snow to parts of southern New Brunswick, while about 15 to 20 centimetres was forecast for Prince Edward Island by Sunday evening.

About 20 centimetres of snow was expected to fall in northern Nova Scotia and blowing snow warnings were issued for much of the province.

Meteorologist Andy Firth said the snow changed to rain in Halifax northeast to New Glasgow as the day went on, but it then changed back to snow as the low pressure system tracked toward Cape Breton.

“It’s a little closer to the coast than what was originally expected so it’s a bit stronger low (pressure system) than what was originally expected,” Firth said from Dartmouth on Sunday.

“When it goes by, temperatures cool off really quick and the blowing snow starts up and it gets kind of nasty again.”

Firth said the western tip of Nova Scotia experienced blowing snow with wind gusts up to 80 km/h, while snow squall warnings were in effect for western Cape Breton overnight Sunday and on Monday.

Storm surge warnings had also been issued for northern Nova Scotia and along the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, where high water levels and strong winds were expected to produce pounding surf.

About 1,000 customers in western Nova Scotia and another 1,500 in central areas of the province were without power Sunday afternoon.

In New Brunswick, about 1,400 people were waiting for their power to be restored in Bouctouche mid-day, while about another 1,500 were in the dark in Moncton, Sackville and Shediac Sunday evening.

The storm grounded flights at Halifax Stanfield International Airport Sunday morning, with delays and cancellations continuing throughout the day.

It was also to blame for several flight cancellations and delays at St. John’s International Airport and the Greater Moncton International Airport.

Arrivals from some major Canadian airports — like Toronto Pearson International Airport — to Halifax, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton were also either delayed or cancelled Sunday.

Halifax airport spokesman Peter Spurway said the delays could continue into Monday and urged travellers to check on the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

Public transit in Moncton, N.B., came to a halt Sunday, as Codiac Transpo suspended its service. Buses were set to resume Monday.

High winds on the Cabot Strait caused Marine Atlantic to cancel ferry crossings between Port Aux Basques, N.L., and North Sydney, N.S., on Sunday.

Traffic on the Confederation Bridge between Nova Scotia and P.E.I. was restricted for vehicles including motorcycles, cars towing trailers, trucks, tractor trailers and buses due to high winds.

Areas of central new New Brunswick — like Fredericton and Gagetown — had just finished digging out of a storm late last week that dumped between 20 and 40 centimetres of snow. As much as 20 centimetres fell in those areas on Sunday.

The storm was expected to hit Newfoundland and Labrador on Monday, with snowfall amounts ranging from 10 to 15 centimetres in southern Newfoundland to as much as 45 centimetres in eastern Labrador.

Parts of northwestern and southern Newfoundland were bracing for winds gusting from 100 km/h to 140 km/h.

Meanwhile, a separate storm was bringing heavy snowfall and high winds to eastern Quebec on Sunday. Forecasts said areas like Gaspesie and Iles de la Madeleine could get between 15 and 40 centimetres of snow by Monday morning.

Updated: Travel delays aplenty as winter storm wallops Eastern Canada

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 6:48 PM - 0 Comments

MONTREAL – Authorities found themselves relying on snowmobiles and snowshoes to respond to some emergency calls as a historic hibernal blanket smothered a 1,200-kilometre stretch of Eastern Canada on Thursday.

The snowstorm squashed plans to travel by air and land.

There were hundreds of flights cancelled and rampant delays — first at airports around Toronto and then, as the storm barrelled eastward, in Ottawa, Montreal, Fredericton and Halifax.

Montreal was walloped with record-setting strength.

The city had expected a storm but nothing like the swirling tempest that forced Environment Canada to drastically revise its forecast over the course of the day.

Continue…

Noted on Twitter: Shovelled driveways

By macleans.ca - Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 5:38 PM - 0 Comments

Noted on Twitter: Shovelled driveways

Storified by Maclean’s Magazine· Thu, Dec 27 2012 14:35:35

Travel delays likely as storm hits Ont., Que., and New Brunswick

By The Canadian Press - Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 7:01 AM - 0 Comments

TORONTO – A winter storm that blew into southwestern Ontario early Wednesday from the United States was expected to cause a variety of travel headaches Thursday.

Environment Canada posted winter storm warnings late Wednesday for Ontario‘s Niagara region, eastern Ontario, southern Quebec and much of northern New Brunswick.

The storm had already pounded the midsection of the U.S., dumping a record snowfall in Arkansas and lashing the Northeast with high winds, snow and sleet.

The storm, which is blamed for at least six deaths in the U.S., knocked out power to thousands of utility customers, primarily in Arkansas.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed out of U.S. airports and several departures had been cancelled by early Thursday at Pearson International Airport in Toronto and at Montreal’s Trudeau Airport.

Travellers were urged to call ahead to check on their flight status before heading to the airports.

The Toronto area was due to receive about 10 cms. of snow into Thursday morning while the Niagara region and Hamilton areas were bracing for 15 to 20 cms.

Similar amounts were forecast for eastern Ontario from the Kingston area east into Quebec through Montreal and Laval and areas south of the city.

Environment Canada says the Montreal region could receive up to 30 centimetres of snow accompanied by widespread blowing snow.

In New Brunswick, snow and blowing snow was expected to begin early Thursday in the southwest and eastern regions, with about 25 cms. or more expected.

Parts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island also lay in the storm’s path, where winter storm watches or rainfall warnings had already been posted.

— With files from The Associated Press

Mini’s massive storm

By Kate Lunau - Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:05 AM - 0 Comments

Radu Sigheti/Reuters

As of last week, a cold snap across Eastern Europe was responsible for at least 175 deaths. For BMW, the parent company of Mini Cooper, the bad weather had an unfortunate association. Hired to promote the Mini Cooper Roadster, an ad firm bought naming rights to the cold front before it wreaked havoc—and named it “Cooper,” after the car. (The ad agency and BMW have since apologized.) The Free University of Berlin’s meteorological institute sells naming rights to high- and low-pressure systems in Central Europe, which the ad firm must have hoped would raise awareness of the Cooper brand. “People take the same risk when they associate themselves with a cause or a sports team, or use a celebrity endorser,” says Kenneth Wong, a marketing professor at Queen’s School of Business. The problem is that the weather is more unpredictable than, say, Tiger Woods—and a bigger danger to others.