Happy in Bed

I was very happy that I was in bed this morning (Monday), while hundreds of people were attempting to drive on snowy, ice covered roads. The storm descended on the city during morning rush hour and it took some people hours to get to work.

It was a much nicer view from where I was lying.

The Toronto Star had this to say:

Afternoon commute threatened by weather
Warmer air to turn snow to rain tonight as temperatures rise


CURTIS RUSH
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM

After this morning’s horrendous drive in the season’s first blustery snowfall, motorists won’t have it any easier on the way home.
Blame the ice pellets.

Just after 3 p.m. today, a serious collision on the eastbound ramp at Highway 401 and Dixie Rd. forced the closing of all southbound and northbound lanes on Dixie Rd. A transport truck was involved.

There have been so many accidents that insurance companies, police and tow-truck drivers have been going at a break-neck pace taking in all the calls. As of noon today, the OPP reported there were more than 260 accidents in and around the GTA on the major highways.

The weather in the southwestern part of the province also created traffic chaos throughout the region.

Most Toronto motorists, however, appeared to be taking their time this afternoon and the number of accidents appeared to be slowing.

Most of the major routes are slow-going, according to police.

A line of snow ploughs made the driving slow on the eastbound collector and express lanes on Highway 401 from Port Union Rd. to Brock Rd.

The westbound Gardiner Expressway seems to be in better shape this afternoon because the temperature was up to zero. But the westbound lanes were filling in west of the SkyDome area.

Ice pellets were falling north of the city on Highway 401 and conditions there caused havoc with motorists in both the eastbound and westbound lanes.

The sanders and snow ploughs are trying to keep the roads as clear as possible but they’re also slowing traffic around them.

Earlier today, the only people who woke up smiling were tow-truck drivers. As the first taste of winter descended on the GTA, the Ontario Provincial Police reported 130 accidents on major area highways by 10 a.m. Virtually all were fender benders.


"We're getting about a crash every two minutes," OPP Sergeant Cam Woolley said during the morning rush hour. "Virtually on any highway, we have had crashes — not life-threatening crashes. It was quiet from midnight to 6 a.m., but then it was like in the cartoons when the factory whistle blows, they just started crashing. We had sort of a flash freeze and it's been crash after crash ever since."

Driving on city roads was just as wild.
Icy conditions forced Traffic Services to close the southbound lanes of Avenue Rd. from St. Clair Ave. to MacPherson Ave.

As the morning went on, the driving became even more nasty. In a serious collision at Yonge St. just south of Highway 404, several vehicles were involved in a host of collisions, including a York Region bus, GO Transit bus and several cars.

Buses were having trouble getting up the hill on that stretch of road, York Region police say.

None of the injuries were reported as serious.

Woolley said winter still seems to take motorists by surprise, adding that people are still in summer driving mode. Despite the conditions, Woolley said he saw cars, trucks and tractor-trailers, driving at more than 30 km/h above the speed limit.


The snowfall shouldn't add up to more than 3 cm downtown. Later, swirling winds will make it rather unpleasant, especially near the lake where the winds often gust higher.

The TTC also reported that Wheel Trans service was running about 45 minutes late this morning. Riders are asked to phone and cancel your ride if it is non-essential, the TTC spokesperson Marilyn Bolton said.
The weather pattern gets marginally much better tomorrow with no snow in the forecast. But it will be damp. Tuesday will see a 60 per cent chance of showers, but it will be milder. The temperature will climb to a high of 6C as a warm air mass moves into the area.


That's little solace to the hundreds of people who were caught in fender benders this morning.