Old man winter continues to wallop the region, forcing Brighton to issue a significant weather declaration.
The declaration comes as Environment Canada has issued three yellow warnings for the region – freezing rain, rainfall and wind (still active at press deadline on the night of Sunday, Dec. 28.)
Meanwhile, this latest weather event, which is expected to stretch into Monday, already follows a record-breaking snowfall on Boxing Day where 15.6 centimetres was recorded at CFB Trenton.
The previous 12-centimetre record was set back in 1996, nearly 30 years ago.
In Brighton, staff have said the anticipated forecast could make it impractical to maintain safe road surfaces in line with normal levels of service.
However, crews will still be working. This means monitoring road conditions and weather patterns, removing downed trees across the municipality and open roads, prioritizing higher-risk areas, and applying materials like salt and sand to roads, explained staff.
Staff will also be keeping lines of communication open with Hydro One, fire, police and Bell, added officials.
The declaration will remain in effect until conditions improve and to the point where it is practical to return to routine roadway maintenance standards. At this time, officials said an additional declaration highlighting the end of the significant weather event will be issued.
“We courage all roadway users to exercise caution during this time. Please adjust your driving to reflect the conditions of the road,” added staff, noting further updates will be issued as needed.
Several other nearby communities have also issued declarations, including Belleville, Stirling-Rawdon, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and the Municipality of Port Hope.
According to Environment Canada, the freezing rain could lead to ice accretion of five to 15 millimetres on some surfaces, as well as slippery conditions. Utility outages are also possible and could be prolonged. Property damage to trees and budlings due to the weight of the ice is also possible.
Environment Canada is also predicting total rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 for the region. This rain, which will be heavy at times, will be hard for the already frozen ground to absorb. Meanwhile, strong southwesterly wind gusts of 80 to 90 km/h are also anticipated – and near Lake Ontario there could be up to 100 km/h gusts.
The winds are anticipated to develop Monday morning with a strong cold front coming through the area and are supposed to ease Monday evening. Again, the winds could lead to property damage and power outages.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
