This weekend I had an Authentic Canadian Experience!

[Ember]

We had to drive to a nearby city this weekend - a drive that normally takes between three to three and a half hours. The drive there took a little over six, the drive home took six and a half hours. We faced blizzard conditions including blowing snow and total white outs with zero visability. Add some black ice into the mix and snow drifts 8 feet high.

Now, you'd think with these conditions the highways would be nearly empty. Oh no. On the way home I counted 101 vehicles in the ditch, including three semis. There were drivers everywhere. We did most of the trip both ways with the hazard lights blinking in the hopes that no one would hit us without seeing us.

Yep. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes us Canadian.

*We had to make the trip due to a family member being in the hospital in critical condition. Otherwise we would have curled in and hibernated for the weekend.

Interestingly, the snow on my balcony is now up over 10 feet. I've decided to call it a mountain and tell everyone we paid extra for the view.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

I commend you on excellent driving skills! Not many would have braved the drive you did.

Your fellow Canadian

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Its pretty bad the driving conditions in the weather! In fact a guy I went to high school with died from bad weather conditions last night (he was only 20 and got trapped in a crushed car)

Good job on your driving skills.
Your fellow snowy Canadian

 

[Heidict]

After driving what I drove through Friday night, I don't even want to imagine what you guys go through every year. No thank you!!! Snow was falling about 4 inches an hour, the road was covered in a sheet of ice, no snow plows in sight, tons of cars on the highway and on the side and we were crawling 5-10 miles and hour. What would normally take about 15 minutes, took us 2 hours. We finally just got off the road and grabbed a hotel room and started out again in the morning to get to were we were going.

After all that, I am now convinced that our next car is going to have 4 wheel drive.

 

[Joy1619]

Way to go fellow Canuck! Snow can't stop us - we're 'hardy people'!

 

[suejai]

OP - I went through the same storm you did, but luckily I was able to stay home. DS and I curled up and watched the last two seasons of Red Dwarf on DVD had popcorn and felt glad we didn't have to go outside. I shovelled the walk today and some of the drifts were hip high (I'm 5'9").

Glad you made it through the drive safely, it was nasty.

 

[autumnpalm]

Its pretty bad the driving conditions in the weather! In fact a guy I went to high school with died from bad weather conditions last night (he was only 20 and got trapped in a crushed car)

Good job on your driving skills.
Your fellow snowy Canadian

How awful. I'm so sorry to hear that.

We got hit with a little snow in Toronto but it's not too bad here at all. I'm sure the rest of Canada would laugh at us for complaining. Except those from Vancouver.

 

[mommasita]

After driving what I drove through Friday night, I don't even want to imagine what you guys go through every year. No thank you!!! Snow was falling about 4 inches an hour, the road was covered in a sheet of ice, no snow plows in sight, tons of cars on the highway and on the side and we were crawling 5-10 miles and hour. What would normally take about 15 minutes, took us 2 hours. We finally just got off the road and grabbed a hotel room and started out again in the morning to get to were we were going.

After all that, I am now convinced that our next car is going to have 4 wheel drive.

4 wheel is drive is the WAY TO GO!! We are shopping for a new replacement, and DH is like why not try something different! UMMMM. NO WAY. He can drive his small kia, as I usually am the one driving my kids to/fro, I feel I NEED the 4 wheel drive.

 

[Ember]

Its pretty bad the driving conditions in the weather! In fact a guy I went to high school with died from bad weather conditions last night (he was only 20 and got trapped in a crushed car)

Good job on your driving skills.
Your fellow snowy Canadian

I'm so sorry to hear this. I made light of it, but the roads were deadly. None of the cars I saw in the ditch had any damage, they'd just gone off the road and into the snow. But I can easily imagine things being much worse if it was an accident. Sadly, many people weren't driving for the conditions, and it's not only their own lives they are putting at risk with their actions.

 

[drag n' fly]

That hit us too OP (southern alta). The snow is drifted 7 feet high across the streets in our neighbourhood. Now comes the deepfreeze,. It's going down to -30c