Another Colorado low blow

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This article was published 27/12/2016 (3233 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeggers got more than they bargained for Boxing Day, as a Colorado low blanketed the city with about 33 centimetres of snow.

The big dig-out began, with hundreds of pieces of equipment fanning out around the city, clearing snow-clogged primary streets before moving onto feeder routes, residential streets and back lanes. The declared snow route parking ban was put into effect, meaning vehicles cannot be parked on snow routes from midnight to 7 a.m.

Commuters and motorists were warned to expect delays.

Winnipeg Transit anticipated delays and disruptions this morning, and commuters were urged to allow extra travel time and to check transit schedules before travelling.

As a result of the snowfall and gusting winds, most roads in the city were nearly impossible for drivers to navigate until late Monday.

Snowstorms of this scope aren’t out of the ordinary for Manitoba, said Environment Canada meteorologist Bryan Van Wilgenburg.

“You usually see one of these events every few years. This year, we had two.”

In the first week of December, from 20 to 30 cm of snow accumulated in Winnipeg and the surrounding area.

The city said Monday clearing snow routes was its top priority so emergency vehicles could get through. The city said the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service was experiencing longer response times due to road conditions.

Plows were out on provincial highways at 7 a.m. Monday, said Larry Halayko, the executive director of maintenance for the province.

“Normally, the workers have a 4/5 a.m. start,” Halayko said. “But visibility was so bad this morning that we couldn’t start until (7 a.m.)”

Halayko said the Level 1 roads (highways and major traffic routes) were to be plowed first. Then plows would move to level two and three roads, which are more residential.

He said all streets would be plowed as soon as possible.

“We’ll be busy for the next week for sure,” he said.

The Richardson International Airport was back to normal Boxing Day, with flights arriving on schedule. Minor delays affected some flights leaving the city, the day after the storm caused the cancellation of dozens of flights.

“Things are going pretty well. We had crews working overnight, and we brought some crews in. They were able to stay ahead of things,” said Tyler MacAfee, spokesman for the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

The airlines were rebooking passengers for flights that had been cancelled Christmas Day. Most flights in and out of the airport were cancelled ahead of the storm, forcing hundreds of travellers to rebook their flights.

They showed up in droves, lining up for flights out of the city all day.

Dan Perlman, a university professor, said it took hours on the phone with WestJet to rebook his flights Monday.

“I was scheduled to go out at 8:35 this morning. I’m going to North Carolina. But because of the weather, now I’m staying overnight in Toronto, and I have a circuitous route (Tuesday) through Boston and New York,” said Perlman.

He made his comments as he eyed the flight information board in the departures area. His flight to Toronto was delayed. “I was going out at 6:35 p.m. now it’s 7:52 p.m.”

Many said it was tougher to navigate highways, which reopened Monday after being shut down, than it was to get checked in.

The Gibsons, a couple with a one-year-old child, spent Christmas with family in Winkler; Highway 75 from Winnipeg to the U.S. border was closed overnight and didn’t get plowed until mid-afternoon, the family said.

“We tried to get out at 6 a.m., but we couldn’t — not even with a three-quarter-tonne truck. The snow was this high,” said Rob Gibson, gesturing to his knees. “It was crazy. We had to wait until the plows came through.”

They arrived three hours ahead of their flight, hoping for a strong tail wind to get them to Toronto on time to catch their connection to Ottawa.

“I told my mother we’re praying to the wind gods to get us there,” joked his wife, Carol Gibson, holding their son Nathan Gibson in her arms.

As the cleanup continues, Environment Canada expects some blowing snow and strong winds today.

— with files from Alexandra Paul

courtney.bannatyne@freepress.mb.ca ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca