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Worst snowstorm of season left residents digging out by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Wiarton Willy emerged and called for an early spring on Groundhog's Day, but that was little consolation for Oakville residents as they tried to dig out from as much as 30 cm of snow Monday. The winter blast made for a treacherous commute Monday morning for those who made it into work. High winds and blowing snow only complicated matters. Halton Regional Police reported 40 accidents across the region from the time the snow began Sunday afternoon until it finally let up around noon Monday. Both the Halton District School Board and the Halton Catholic District School Board cancelled buses and closed schools Monday. Sheridan College also closed until 6 p.m. the day of the storm. Halton Region cancelled Monday's waste collection due to the road conditions, pushing residents' collection day back one day. Town of Oakville crews worked for more than 36 hours salting and clearing the roads. Salters were sent out ahead of the storm around 2 p.m. Sunday. Crews worked into the night, clearing the last of the streets around 3 a.m., said Mark Covert, senior manager of works operations Rob Wormald clears off the deep snow from his Darlington Street home's driveway in Oakville, Monday. His neighbour does the same. The scene was repeated over and over as the worst storm of the winter season dumped in the vicinity of 30 cm of the white stuff on Oakville. | photo by Justin Greaves ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) or www.facebook.com/HaltonPhotog for the Town. Covert said though they had less notice of the approaching storm, only about 24 hours, the Town was prepared. However, the volume of snow created problems, slowing the Town's efforts. He said the space to store the large amounts of snow is limited in areas. That has hindered their efforts in clearing sidewalks, which was still underway Wednesday afternoon. Covert said residents' patience was appreciated while they finished the cleanup. As if the snow wasn't enough of a reminder that winter wasn't about to loosen its grip, the region was hit with a cold weather alert Monday night with temperatures dropping to -19C with a wind chill of -29C. Extreme cold warnings are issued by Halton Region when the wind chill creates increased health risks, including frostbite and hypothermia. The cold temperatures were expected to continue the rest of the week, with a low of -17C expected today (Thursday) and -15C tomorrow (Friday). While the week did bring a reprieve from the snow, it is expected to return on the weekend with up to 10 cm being forecast for Saturday (Feb. 7) and 2-4 cm for Sunday (Feb. 8). INJURED? I Can Help! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY UNLESS I GET YOU MONEY My team of experienced lawyers can help you with: · Car accidents · Slip and Falls · Disability Claims (Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, CPP) · Wrongful Dismissal OFFICES IN OAKVILLE AND TORONTO For a free consultation call: Oakville: 905.842.2022 or Toronto: 416.351.9222 email: sspadafora@slspc.ca Sam Spadafora Injury and Employment Law