Timmins residents dig out from record snowfall

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Digging out: Timmins faces monumental cleanup after major storm

7-Day weather forecast for northeastern Ontario

Blizzard paralyzes northern Ont., closing highways

Hazardous roads, whiteouts prompt travel warnings in northern Ont.

7-Day weather forecast for northeastern Ontario

Timmins residents are experiencing a snowstorm hangover Tuesday as they dig out from the biggest blizzard they’ve experienced in decades. Two city Councillors share their perspectives on the storm and ask residents to have patience as crews work to clear roadways.

Councillor Bill Gvozdanovic and his son Brock have teamed up to tackle the snow in their driveway left after Monday’s storm.

“Brutal. Couldn’t be worse, I mean, I’ve never seen nothing like this,” said Gvozdanovic.

“The last storm I seen like this was probably back in the 80s and I actually looked it up – it was 1983 when we had 47cm.”

Environment Canada forecasted an accumulation of 40-60 cm for the area.

“There was an estimate based on radar… of about 50 to 60 cm of snow around the Timmins area, so it was quite something, like, quite hefty,” said Gerald Cheng, meteorologist for Environment Canada.

“Farther south in Sault Ste. Marie, about 22 cm.”

On Monday, the City of Timmins advised people to stay home and many did, however, some motorists took their chances and ventured out.

“Well, I mean, there’s vehicles that just, you know, got stuck right in the middle of the road, and they just left them there – that’s unprecedented,” said Gvozdanovic.

Cheng said the storm intensified quickly.

“It dropped pressure and so it was able to create a lot of winds around this system, so not just for the Timmins area, but all around, this low-pressure system, even for southern Ontario, for Quebecers – it was a very far-reaching, and now (Tuesday) it’s affecting people in the Maritimes,” said Cheng.

There was more movement on Tuesday now that the storm has passed and crews have been plowing roads, but city councillor John Curley said people need to be patient during this challenging weather event.

“We’re down to single lanes on main thoroughfares, so we have to remove the snow,” said Curley.

“So send the blowers in and just take a cut to allow more room to flow, but it’s not going to be solved for a while.”

While homeowners do their best to dig themselves out of their driveways, they may encounter streets that haven’t been plowed yet when they travel throughout the city.

“The city is doing a good job in opening up some of the main streets,” said Curley.

“Some of the sidewalks are starting to get open, but there is a lot of side streets that we’ve not been able to get to … not that they’ve been forgotten. We will be getting to them. It’s just as not as quickly as obviously residents would like.”

There are at least three months left in this winter season, and with January and February being the coldest months, Cheng said there could be more big clashes of air masses like the one we just experienced. He advises people to be prepared for anything.