Hamilton area hit with another blast of winter
Snow, cold temperatures returning; Thursday forecast to see -13 C
Winter’s back.
After a brief reprieve, Hamilton has been hit with another blast of the white stuff, with more expected to fall later this week.
“A nice solid return to winter,” quipped Rob Kuhn, severe weather meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Close to 15 centimetres of snow were expected to have fallen in the city by 1 a.m. Tuesday, with close to 5 centimetres having blanketed the ground by 6 p.m. Monday.
Environment Canada issued snowfall warnings Monday in Hamilton, Burlington, Niagara and Haldimand, cautioning drivers to take care on the roads because of slippery conditions and limited visibility.
The City of Burlington declared a “snow event” beginning midnight Jan. 30, when all snow plows and salt trucks were expected to be out on the roads.
During this time, all vehicles parked on residential roads must be removed or risk being ticketed or towed.
While Tuesday is expected to be sunny and dry, Wednesday could
bring another walloping for Hamilton, with a 60 per cent chance of an additional five to 10 centimetres expected, he said.
These “big swings of winter weather” are typical, Kuhn noted.
“Losing your snow cover completely is not unusual — it’s been like that around here for a couple of decades,” he said. “Getting it back all of a sudden, and the next morning you wake up with 15 centimetres on the ground, also not unusual,” he added.
It’s the same with the cold, Kuhn said.
After 17 days of below-freezing temperatures, Hamilton experienced a “quite pronounced” January thaw a few weeks ago.
But like earlier this month, temperatures are expected to drop again, with the low for Thursday night forecast to be -13 C.
Things will warm up a bit later in the week and more snow could be on the way Saturday night, he added.
“We’re going back into seasonably cold mid-winter weather,” Kuhn said. “I don’t think it will be as cold, but in my opinion, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a couple of nights where we’re near -20 C.”
It’s “perfectly normal” weather for mid-winter, which tends to be the coldest time of the year, he said.
It would be unusual if Monday’s dumping was the last significant snowfall for Hamilton this season before the first day of spring on March 20, Kuhn said.
“To have February with a trace of snow — I know that’s happening in March and of course April, but February I don’t think a trace has ever happened for the whole month,” he said.
“It’s like saying in the end of July; this will be our last day at 30 degrees. Could be, but not likely.”
Despite OPP warning of blowing snow on highways, Hamilton police reported they did not see an increase in collisions on city streets Monday because of the weather.