Niagara prepares for winter

We’re exactly one month from Christmas and Environment Canada says we could see the first winter storm of the season specifically in the Niagara Region in the next two days. London received a good dumping over the weekend, but that was lake effect snow. This time a storm system is making its way from the southern U.S. to here and a special weather statement has been issued. Freezing rain is also expected. But that’s not all. And while there’s not a lot of snow expected Monday night in the Niagara, Hamilton and Halton areas, there could be flurries which means many drivers will be brushing off their cars ahead of the morning commute.

Meanwhile, the Niagara Peninsula is preparing for the first real blast of winter. As Lauran Sabourin tells us, there’s a mad dash right now for salt, shovels and snow tires.

Just seeing the pictures of London buried under 30 centimetres of snow this weekend, sent drivers in Niagara, scurrying to get their snow tires on.

Jim Pitul is with Niagara Battery & Tire: “Busiest time of year, yes.”

At Niagara Battery and Tire, the wait for snow tires is two and a half hours.

Shaeleen DiGilaramo knew there would be a wait: “I called this morning and I knew there was going to be a long wait.”

Canadian Tire has been selling a lot of shovels. More than 24 hours ahead of this storm, Niagara Region is out putting up snow fence and brining the roads. Seventeen hundred lane kilometres of roads.

Dave MacLeod is with Niagara Region Public Works: “So with the flurries that blow in. Over the roads. It prevents the ice from forming. And prevents it from sticking to the pavement. And creating hazardous driving conditions.”

They have weather stations around the region and sensors in the pavement. These weather sensors will tell you the temperature of the road. If there’s precipitation on the roadway. Even if it’s been treated or not.

They’ve been watching the weather computers all day. And the computers are saying with the temperatures plummeting Monday night there’s a potential for black ice.

Dave: “And with the onset of the storm, we’re going to monitor the situation. We’re pretty much ready for it. And have been for a couple of weeks now.”

The sanders and salters are certainly ready and by the end of this weather event, they expect to put around 15-hundred tons of salt on the road.