PREPARE FOR DELAYS Ottawa has record breaking snow day

Posted on 02/17/2016 | About Ottawa, Ontario

Heavy snow and severe winter conditions are likely to cause flight delays today in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and New York.  In the national capital it was a record breaking snowfall.  By Tuesday evening, Ottawa had received 51.2 centimetres of snow to obliterate the Feb. 16 record of 39.6 centimetres set in 1954, and all-time single-day record of 40.6 set in March of 1947.

Environment Canada said the snow was piling up at a rate of four centimetres an hour at times and was expected to surpass 50 by the time it eased off in the evening. It finally tapered off at about 9:30 p.m. The slick conditions made roads treacherous, with countless cars stuck in the snow along with city transit buses. Ottawa roads manager Luke Gagne says it's the worst single-day volume of snow he has seen in his 25 years working for the city.