Sudden winter conditions catch P.E.I. motorists and plow dispatchers off guard

P.E.I. Transportation Minister Paula Biggar is defending a decision not to send out plows overnight Tuesday, and warning Islanders to be aware of how rapidly winter weather can change.

Biggar called CBC News after people complained to CBC Radio's Island Morning about poor road conditions early Wednesday morning.

We can't always predict exactly when to have the plow out.- Paula Biggar

Biggar said conditions are checked at 3 a.m., and plows sent out if they are required. Roads were clear at that time Wednesday.

But conditions changed quickly. Biggar said she encountered some difficult driving conditions between Sherbrooke and Hunter River, and saw a couple of cars in the ditch.

"When the winds pick up, that can cause havoc within an hour," she said.

"We can't always predict exactly when to have the plow out. But normally they are always out when we are observing these conditions. You know, I would just caution people to slow down and observe that when they come into those open areas there are going to be drifts, so, not to be caught off guard."

The Transportation Department said plows were sent out around 6 a.m., after calls came in from road patrols and dispatchers about deteriorating conditions.

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