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Record snowfall provokes 'snow rage' in Canada
Ottawa (AFP) March 12, 2008 A record snowfall in eastern Canada this winter has inspired some, crushed others, led to a rash of snow-blower thefts and incited at least two armed clashes, authorities said Wednesday. Police and psychologists describe the latter incidents as "snow rage," akin to road rage or assaults by frustrated drivers in traffic. Quebec City police say they received more than a dozen calls this winter from warring neighbors upset that snow was being shoveled onto their driveway or sidewalk by the folks next door. The city was buried this winter in a record 460 centimeters (183 inches) of snow, and is running out of places to put the fluffy white powder until spring arrives and it melts. In nearby Montreal, where residents are recovering from a ninth major snowstorm this season, a man was charged this week with threatening a fellow motorist with a toy gun over a rare parking spot on a snow-clogged street. And in likely the worst case, an elderly Quebec City man pulled a 12-gauge shotgun on a female snowplow operator on Sunday for blowing snow onto his property, after warning her. "How can you fight a three-ton snow-blower?" he told the Globe and Mail newspaper, accusing her of trying to run him over with the plow. "It takes a man who stands up." "People are sick of snow," Quebec police spokeswoman Sandra Dion told AFP. "I'm seeing so much white that I'm seeing red," echoed psychologist Luc Tremblay. "At some point, people feel overwhelmed, crushed. It's playing on their morale and their nerves," he told the Globe and Mail. According to officials, snow-blower thefts in Quebec and neighboring Ontario provinces are up significantly this winter. Cities throughout the region have blown their multi-million dollar snow removal budgets. Airports reported many more delays or flight cancellations than usual because of bad weather, several roofs collapsed under the weight of snow, and hundreds of traffic accidents were blamed on icy roads and limited visibility due to blowing snow. As well, a woman was killed on a local highway after being struck by a passing snowplow, and a child digging in a snow bank died when it collapsed suddenly. Of course, some have tried to make the best of the situation. One Ottawa man sought a world record for the tallest snow bank, now topping his two-storey house and growing, while an area couple painted a beach paradise with palm trees on their snow bank to ease their cabin fever. On several occasions, cross-country skiers made tracks in urban streets before snowplows could get out to clear the snow. And a Quebec man put his snow bank up for sale on eBay, fetching a few thousand dollars for a local charity. Related Links It's A White Out at TerraDaily.com
Late winter storm socks central US
Chicago (AFP) March 9, 2008A late winter snowstorm buried a large part of the US midwestern United States, shutting down highways and stranding air travelers across the region, according to news reports Sunday. |
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