'Long-lasting' winter storm hits Windsor-Essex
CBC
A 'long-lasting' winter storm is hitting Windsor-Essex and the surrounding regions Wednesday, as morning rain turned to snow and ice.
"It's one of the largest systems I've ever seen, stretching across the U.S. for about 3,000 km from one part of the country to another," said David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"Even though it's going to move fairly fast – because it has so much to come – that's why it's going to be drawn out."
Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning Tuesday afternoon for Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Sarnia-Lambton, estimating hazardous winter conditions, including up to 30 centimetres of snow and winds gusting to 60 km/hr expected by Thursday night. As of Wednesday, that warning is expanding to include other regions of Ontario.
Phillips said the weather system began in the Texas area but is being fed by weather systems in the Rocky Mountains and elsewhere across the U.S. Millions of people in North America will be affected by the large weather system, he said.
"This one has got all elements of precipitation to it, it's got rain, freezing ice, freezing drizzle, it's got snow," he said, adding that areas of the U.S. have already seen the storm.
Snow is expected to fall at a rate of two cm per hour, said Phillips, which is a much slower rate than the storm seen in other areas of Ontario earlier this month.
"This one is different than it's sister storm two-and-a-half weeks ago in the sense it's going to be a long drawn out event," said Phillips.
"Probably we'll still see the flakes still falling on Friday."
On Wednesday morning, all school buses in Windsor-Essex were cancelled in anticipation of the winter weather, and only one route - Zone 8 – was running in Chatham-Kent and Lambton.
On Tuesday, the City of Windsor said it was preparing for the storm by applying de-icing materials to the roads before the snowfall, with plows ready to roll-out once accumulation reaches "at least five centimetres."
"Once the main roads are clear, and only if more than ten centimetres of snow has fallen, trucks will then move into residential areas," said a media release sent by the city.
The city said vehicles parked on the sides of roads can impact snow clearing.
"As always, the City of Windsor's number one priority is making sure roadways are plowed and safe. At this time, residents are asked to be understanding and patient, as clearing could take extra time should staffing issues related to COVID-19 impact service," the city said.