The snow you didn’t see coming is always the one that makes you late. Size isn’t everything when it comes to snowfall. Canada receives upwards of a trillion tonnes of snow, enough to fill Lake Ontario, the smaller, inconspicuous dustings create the most insidious road hazards.
We’ll dig into this sneaky snow setup and how three main ingredients shape these events, and create the perfect storm–or rather dusting.
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Let’s explore how smaller storms become more disruptive than larger ones.
Larger snowfalls come with ample weather warnings and media buzz, which gives the heads-up for commuters to enact a game plan.
When fewer people are commuting and roadways are void of traffic, road crews can more effectively clear the web of roads, so essential commuters can be left with ample space to get to their destination safely.
It seems like a paradox, but what’s often the case is that 20 cm of snow falling in the middle of the night isn’t as bad as one centimetre falling at the 5 p.m. rush hour. This is the key because there are sensitive times in the morning and evening commutes when roads are stretched over capacity, maximizing the disruption to the weather chaos.
Toronto has one of the slowest commutes in North America, with one-fifth of all commuters spending an hour or more, and an ill-timed snowfall can quickly double or triple the commute of an already lengthy commute. Visibility can fall in snow squalls and pavement conditions can deteriorate rapidly. Road clearing operations are seriously hampered during rush hour because roads are packed with cars.
Common culprits: Lake effect snow bands, frontal squalls
If you’re like me, upon waking, you immediately check the forecast on The Weather Network app, and sure enough, temperatures are above freezing. Scroll ahead several hours, you notice the temperatures falling below freezing in the afternoon.
This is a red flag. As wet snow accumulates on roadways, it has a higher water content creating a slushy layer between your tires and the road. Not ideal. The wet snow can even fill in your winter tires grooves, making them less effective.
But this creates another problem. Wet snow can transition to compact ice because of the high water content; this is extremely slick compared to fluffy snow. This black ice means a stopping distance of up to 200 metres at 80 km/h.
If the temperature falls too far, below -9°C, even road salt becomes a less useful weapon, so other de-icing tools may be deployed.
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Many commuters base decisions on morning forecasts, and winter snow squalls can have a similar uncertainty to summer thunderstorms. So a burst of heavy snowfall that was once forecast for 7 pm, decides to pay millions a visit at 5 pm, creating a horrific commuting landscape.
It’s not just Toronto that has had commuter chaos from snowstorms and weather events.
Commuter tip: Check The Weather Network forecast regularly throughout the day, and before heading out on the roads.
Recent white knuckle drives
November 29, 2022: Vancouver drivers faced commute times over 12 hours, yes 12 HOURS. And this is for people who were expecting a 20-minute drive. Cars were moving at about 1 km per hour, about four times the speed of a threatened sloth.
A wet, heavy snowfall event peaked in the early evening with temperatures near zero swept across the city, creating roads you could skate on. This is one of Metro Vancouver’s worst commutes in recent memory, with ill-prepared drivers dealing with ill-timed weather conditions. A lack of winter tires and snow removal equipment magnifies the chaos in this region.
November 18, 2024: Calgary drivers had an abrupt transition into winter driving conditions on this November Monday morning. Weeks of mild weather and double-digit temperatures gave way to wet snow, creating hundreds of minor crashes. It was a highly localized event with no snow falling in Red Deer, highlighting these microclimates often lead to sharp boundaries between adverse weather.
While Canadians often find themselves bracing for the biggest snowstorms days in advance, the sneakier snows that manifest with limited lead time prove to be most problematic.
We’ll do our best this year to highlight these sneaky snows, while city crews can work to better handle smaller, poorly timed snowfalls–pre-treatment is everything when it comes to safe travels.
