Coping with winter storms means staying one step ahead of the weather Most Canadians know that winter should not put an end to outdoor recreation and travel. But playing it safe during this harshest of seasons means keeping a watch for storms that sometimes blow in quickly and can leave people unprepared. Winter storms and excessive cold claim more than 100 lives every year in Canada, more than the combined toll from hurricanes, tornadoes, flood, extreme heat and lightning.
Blizzards are particularly dangerous.
They come roaring in on a wave of frigid arctic air, bringing snow, low temperatures, strong winds and poor visibility due to blowing snow. It is not uncommon for weather stations on the prairies to record more than two blizzards and over 15 hours of blizzard-like weather a year. The Saskatchewan blizzard of February 1947 was one of the worst in Canadian history. The storm raged for 10 days. A train was buried in a snowdrift 1 km long and 8 m keep.