Ottawa
A winter storm hit Ottawa and the surrounding areas Friday night, covering the ground in a blanket of heavy snow and knocking out power for hundreds of customers.
Sixteen centimetres of snow has fallen as of Saturday morning, with more on the way
CBC News
· Posted: Jan 13, 2024 7:45 AM EST | Last Updated: 37 minutes ago
A pile of snow sits next to a parking lot in downtown Ottawa on Saturday morning. A winter storm warning that was issued on Friday by Environment Canada is still in effect. (Guy Quenneville)
A winter storm hit Ottawa and the surrounding areas Friday night, covering the ground in a blanket of heavy snow and knocking out power for hundreds of customers.
As of early Saturday morning, sixteen centimetres of snow has fallen on the capital. According to Environment Canada, another five to six centimetres is on the way.
Environment Canada issued winter storm warnings Friday for almost the entire region except for communities along the water west of Brockville, Ont. The warnings are still in effect as of Saturday morning.
Ready for more? Another winter storm warning in place Friday night
Here’s everything you need to know as storm cleanup continues:
Power outages
Hydro Ottawa has had crews ready to respond since yesterday, the utility said.
As of 9:00 a.m., 660 Hydro Ottawa customers had their power affected by the winter storm. According to Hydro Ottawa’s outage map, the outage stretches in a line from the corner of Elgin Street and Argyle Avenue, across the Rideau Canal and stops close to the Lees O-Train station.
Hydro Ottawa is also responding to another outage affecting 165 customers near Connaught Park, along Hanlon Avenue and Hopkins Road.
Crews are investigating the causes of both outages. Power is expected to be restored in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Hydro One crews are currently responding to minor outages in small Ontario communities, including the village of Vars and the hamlet of Dunbar.
Forty-two Hydro-Québec customers in the Outaouais don’t have power as of 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Roads
The city said crews are clearing main roads like Baseline and Bank Street as well as priority sidewalks. Soon, they will be clearing residential streets and sidewalks, as well as bus stops.
Bryden Denyes, a manager with the City of Ottawa’s roads department, said the challenge on Saturday morning was snow and wind filling in areas that have already been paved. But he added that “it’s becoming a bit more passable out there right now.”
No roads have been closed, city officials said.
A snow plow clears a section of road during a snowstorm in Ottawa earlier in the week. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
In Ottawa, there’s a winter parking ban on most city streets from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Denyes said crews will be watching the snowfall in case the ban needs to be extended.
Gatineau, Que., has scheduled a winter parking ban that starts at 3 a.m. Saturday and runs until further notice.
Public transit
O-Train Line 1 launched at its normal time and continues to operate, according to a memo sent to council by general manager Renée Amilcar on Saturday morning.
That said, Amilcar warned road users as well as bus and Para Transpo customers to anticipate delays.
Some customers may see double-car trains in operation this weekend. Amilcar said the decision was made to ensure resources are focused on clearing snow and simplify overnight operations.
Snow clearing crews were deployed overnight to keep the line and switches clear of snow and ice, and a system to de-ice the overhead wire that supplies electricity to the vehicles is currently in place.
⚠🌨 Heavy snow is expected throughout the day.
➡️Buses, Line 1, and #ParaTranspo will operate according to conditions for safety with city-wide service delays anticipated.
➡️Stay safe, plan ahead, and allow extra time for your travels https://t.co/HxEBLC46xq
—@OC_Transpo
In an earlier memo, Amilcar said that out of the 6,000 bus stops across the city, seven bus stops are typically removed from service during a winter storm. Those bus stops are located around steep hills or slopes that make traction difficult during bad weather.
Amilcar promised another service update after the storm is over.
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