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...and they respond by dumping on me. 
Thanks guys.
TORONTO - Central and Eastern Canada headed into the weekend on high alert amid ominous predictions of a major winter storm that was forecast to dump as much as 25 centimetres of snow beginning late Saturday.
Environment Canada had Ontario under a severe weather watch with Quebec, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. issued warnings Friday as it tracked an unstable weather mass bearing down from Texas.
With Ontario first in line to taste the bitter blast, police and hydro workers across the province readied their response plans and waited.
"When we have advance notice of a storm coming . . . we put our crews on high alert," said Al Manchee of Hydro One.
"As soon as the storm does hit, we get out there. We run a 24-7 trouble call response system, so our crews work around the clock."
Saturday's relative calm of a few flurries was forecast to give way to significant snowfall and winds of up 40 to 60 kilometres.
That combination could prove daunting for power delivery.
"When you get a combination high winds, heavy wet snow or even worse, freezing rain, you get not only the buildup on the equipment but you get buildup on the trees," said Manchee.
"You combine that with the wind and you typically see a lot of tree damage on our system."
Ontario Provincial Police were preparing by scheduling extra officers for duty and keeping others on standby for harsh weather.
"It sounds like this may be the most snow we've seen in over a decade . . . . It certainly has the potential if it stays on track," said spokesman Sgt. Cam Woolley.
Roads conditions and unprepared drivers will be top of mind, he said.
Despite several small dumpings of snow already this season, Woolley said police "still do see some unprepared drivers out there."
"Maybe dressed for a party or something, in (a) car that's equipped for summer," he said.
The key to driving in treacherous conditions is to proceed with caution.
"I think people tend to blame the crashes on the weather," said Woolley.
"Maybe even the police are sympathetic sometimes, but it's actually against the law to blame the weather," he quipped.
While Hydro One has a half-dozen helicopters primed to spot felled lines and transport repair crews to remote locales, Manchee said people should always be prepared for the possibility of outages.
"Certainly, have a battery operated radio so that you can listen to our storm restoration updates," he said.
"We communicate with local media, particularly radio stations on our restoration progress."
Water, extra batteries and alternative heat sources like a wood stove also come in handy if the power's out during a storm, he added.
Woolley advises that people should also stock up provisions like food and top up their fuel tanks Saturday, just in case.
Environment Canada had Ontario under a severe weather watch with Quebec, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. issued warnings Friday as it tracked an unstable weather mass bearing down from Texas.
With Ontario first in line to taste the bitter blast, police and hydro workers across the province readied their response plans and waited.
"When we have advance notice of a storm coming . . . we put our crews on high alert," said Al Manchee of Hydro One.
"As soon as the storm does hit, we get out there. We run a 24-7 trouble call response system, so our crews work around the clock."
Saturday's relative calm of a few flurries was forecast to give way to significant snowfall and winds of up 40 to 60 kilometres.
That combination could prove daunting for power delivery.
"When you get a combination high winds, heavy wet snow or even worse, freezing rain, you get not only the buildup on the equipment but you get buildup on the trees," said Manchee.
"You combine that with the wind and you typically see a lot of tree damage on our system."
Ontario Provincial Police were preparing by scheduling extra officers for duty and keeping others on standby for harsh weather.
"It sounds like this may be the most snow we've seen in over a decade . . . . It certainly has the potential if it stays on track," said spokesman Sgt. Cam Woolley.
Roads conditions and unprepared drivers will be top of mind, he said.
Despite several small dumpings of snow already this season, Woolley said police "still do see some unprepared drivers out there."
"Maybe dressed for a party or something, in (a) car that's equipped for summer," he said.
The key to driving in treacherous conditions is to proceed with caution.
"I think people tend to blame the crashes on the weather," said Woolley.
"Maybe even the police are sympathetic sometimes, but it's actually against the law to blame the weather," he quipped.
While Hydro One has a half-dozen helicopters primed to spot felled lines and transport repair crews to remote locales, Manchee said people should always be prepared for the possibility of outages.
"Certainly, have a battery operated radio so that you can listen to our storm restoration updates," he said.
"We communicate with local media, particularly radio stations on our restoration progress."
Water, extra batteries and alternative heat sources like a wood stove also come in handy if the power's out during a storm, he added.
Woolley advises that people should also stock up provisions like food and top up their fuel tanks Saturday, just in case.
Thanks guys.
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