Drivers warned to travel safely amid wet winter weather

Tuesday saw a day full of wet weather, forcing commuters to travel through snow, rain and slush, while some areas even saw flood warnings.

The day was especially tricky for Holly Hutton, who drives a van for a living, picking up elderly and disabled people who need a ride.

Not only does she have to be careful on the road, but also in the slippery parking lots.

“It’s the slippery factor, we have to like, hold people up sometimes, so if they start to slip we got to make sure they don’t fall,” Hutton said.

There have also been crashes, like the one on Kirkwall Road near Safari Road where a car flipped onto its roof. So far, no reports of injuries.

READ MORE: Hamilton residents prepare for blast of snowy weather this weekend

Climate Scientist Steve Easterbrook from the University of Toronto says you can thank climate change for the mixed precipitation.

“If you think about this in terms of climate change, the planet has warmed by a couple of degrees. In Canada we have seen a lot more warming than most regions, so the colder parts of the planet have warmed up faster,” Easterbrook said.

Nadia Matos from C.A.A. says drivers need to be extra careful during this weather, and ensure they are visible on the road.

“There’s daytime running lights and there are actual lights, so there is a difference. We often see people on the highway who just have their daytime running lights, which is not their full lighting system, which means their brake lights are not on,” Matos said.

“So, you will see them coming up from behind, it looks like the vehicle is completely in dark and only when they step on their brakes do the lights in the back light up.”

READ MORE: City of Hamilton staff prepare for winter weather

And as the weather continues, Environment Canada Meteorologist Trudy Kidd says to expect more changes.

“Tonight we’ve got the rain, and then it will taper out and become showers , maybe some light flurries but we will have strong winds tomorrow that’s associated with this low pressure system,” Kidd said.

Hutton says she is trying to be optimistic even though the weather can make her job stressful.

“I mean it’s January, we’re in Canada so it’s pretty regular,” Hutton said.

The wet weather continues into Wednesday and more stormy weather is predicted for Friday.