Snow slows drivers; Overnight winter parking ban in effect
Posted Jan 16, 2013 06:27:37 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The afternoon drive home was slow and slippery as snow fell all afternoon with more expected to fall into the evening. With 10 to 15 cm of snow forecast, Halifax Regional Municipality put its overnight winter parking ban in effect until further notice.
Drivers were warned not to park on the street between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., or risk a $50 fine and a tow in some cases at the vehicle owner’s expense.
“Municipal Operations are currently engaged with plowing and salting P1 roads,” said the halifax.ca/snow information page around 5pm. “Currently 3 turn cycle times are being met with no significant traffic delays. Roads are slush covered and will have slippery sections. Clean up with P2 roads will begin at 11pm tonight.”
“The big difficulty is the fact that the wind’s going to be creating blowing and drifting snow,” said News 95.7 meteorologist Richard Zurawski. “Of course, driving around in this at rush hour this evening, things are not going to be pleasant at all. So, give yourself lots of time.”
Zurawski warns wind speeds could see gusts up to 50 kilometres per hour.
The low-pressure system is tracking south of Nova Scotia, meaning the province is expected to get the brunt of the storm, with the majority of precipitation coming down in the form of snow.
Halifax, the South Shore and the Eastern Shores are expected to get the heaviest amounts.
The city says Municipal Operations began anti-icing operations overnight with Direct Liquid Application and pre-salting.
Officials add that much of the salt put down earlier this week because of black ice on roads around the region is still in place.
Environment Canada sent out a bulletin forecasting a clearing trend later in the week.
“A cold arctic airmass will continue to advance towards the Maritimes while another low pressure system is expected to form near the US mid-Atlantic coast,” said a Special Weather Statement. “Cloud and moisture from this system will
likely spread across the southern Maritimes overnight Thursday into Friday.”
