Planes, trains and automobiles: how deep freeze impacts Ottawa travel

It's no secret: today is so cold it could freeze the buttons off a snowman.

The wind chill is making it feel like 39, meaning Ottawa feelscolder than Winnipeg, Edmonton, Yellowknife and Whitehorse.

It may be cold here, but there's one Ontario town that has us beat. Sioux Lookout, Ont., feels like 45 with the wind chill so we can't claim the icy throne for the province.

Here's a look at the impact of the deep freeze.

Trains

Via Rail tweeted that due to winter storm conditions,all trains in the Quebec City toWindsor corridor may be impacted. Check their website for updates, delays and cancellations.

Planes

There were more than 40 flights cancelled Thursday due to the weather, and the delays are continuing Friday. The Ottawa airport is warning passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.

The airport also has a service to clear snow from and start your car if you're returning soon. You can call them at613-248-4304 to request assistance.

Driving

Firefighters in Ottawa are warning drivers to be extra vigilant on the roads. Be sure to watch out for black ice.

CAA is also reporting service delays due to a high volume of calls.Within 45 minutes you can gethelp on the road, and that extends to 90 minutes if you're somewhere considered safe. They say it will take abouttwo hours total to get youhome.

There are usuallyabout 450 service calls in eastern Ontario on a typical winter day, said Michael Shore, the CAA's automotive services operations manager for the region.

But this winter has been so cold that even on slowdays there have been around 680 calls, Shore said.

Thankfully, it's usually just battery boosts, he said.

Buses

How does OC Transpokeep their buses running in the extreme cold?

They rotate them in and out of garages, with crews starting them up once in a while to keep the engines warm, according toTroy Charter,director of transit operations.

"It adds another level of complexity in maintaining our fleet," he said.

As for tires, the OC Transpoteam does testing and found the ones they use which are not winter tires work well, given that no brand of tires fit the bill for North American winters perfectly, Charter said.

Homes

One Ottawa firefighter tweeted a safety checklist for homes, too. He suggested the following:

• Check that doors and windows are not frozen shut.
• Leave a wide berth around space heaters;about threefeet should do.
• Check carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
• Inspect pipes to make sure they won't freeze or burst.

Emergency services

Paramedicssaidthey've receiveda few calls for exposure to the cold since thecold snaps began around Boxing Day, but nothing more thanwhat's considered a normal amount.

In case of an emergency, they have a system that monitors the battery status andtemperature in ambulances, so theycan start them if it gets too cold.

Police also said they haven't had trouble starting their cruisers today.