Slippery Sunday minus snow tires: first snow catches many off guard

Sunday’s first snow fall of the season was expected  — yet still left many surprised.

Much of the roadways in and around Hamilton have been cleared of snow, but Environment Canada says flurries are still coming off the back of a record setting snowfall on Nov. 9.

“This was really a zero to sixty, rapid acceleration from fall-like temperatures to the depths of winter. Not just for temperatures but also from the amount of snow fall,” says Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“We came in with somewhere between 11 and 16 centimeters at the [Hamilton] airport breaking the old record for snowiest Nov. 9th of 4.1 centimeters set back in 1971.”

Coulson says Hamilton and a few other areas in southern Ontario ended with more than what was originally forecast.

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“We had talked about a range of two to 10 centimeters, certainly giving folks the idea that snow was coming and it wasn’t gonna stay on the ground,” he said.

Many drivers were still left surprised saying the snow was ‘a bit of a shock’ and many drivers say they still do not have snow tires on.

Drivers who braved the snow yesterday kept Ontario Provincial Police busy in the last 24-hours getting service calls for various snow-related incidents.

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt with OPP Highway Safety Division says officers responded to nearly 340 calls across the GTA, with 50 coming from the Hamilton region.

“About 220 of them were collisions or vehicles that were stuck in ditches, disabled, broken down requiring a tow truck without police assistance,” he said.

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Schmidt says the decisions we make can make a difference this winter.

“Clear your vehicle of ice and snow; make sure your windshield washer fluid is topped up. Make sure your wipers are working properly and if you have snow tires, it’s a great idea to have them,” says Schmidt.

“They will give you that lesser traction, a little different compound that will interact and give you that control and stability.”

Temperatures for Nov. 10 are hovering around the freezing mark but Environment Canada says the Hamilton area will be returning to mid-seasonal temperatures by midweek.

“There are some indications that as we get into the second half of November we may start to get more chilly temperatures and a chance of snowfall,” Coulson said.

Environment Canada says flurries are expected to fall in the next two days.