KELOWNA, British Columbia—Randy May, owner of M & H Auto Sales and U-Haul Dealership, calls Kelowna “the Bahamas of Canada.” No, the people of Kelowna aren’t lounging poolside in shorts and T-shirts in the winter, but it’s much warmer than many other parts of Canada. Kelowna does get its fair share of snow, but heavy downfalls of the white stuff aren’t very common.
That’s why it was so rare when recently, the snow just kept falling. And falling. And falling.
“It started snowing Sunday afternoon and kept snowing for about 24 hours,” May related. “One gentleman came in Monday morning looking to rent a cargo van, but even if he would have made it off the lot, he wouldn’t have made it far. Buses, cabs and other cars on the streets weren’t moving. I have a four-wheel-drive truck so I gave him a ride home and asked him to come back Tuesday.
“We called it a day Monday around noon and went home,” May continued. “I’ve been here for 23 years and I haven’t seen anything like this! Apparently it was the largest dump of snow, in one shot, in 44 years.”
When the storm finally passed, Kelowna had received 2½ feet of snow. It allowed May and his team to use some snow-removal equipment they don’t normally use.
“We had a Bobcat here for about 10 hours to clean up the lot,” May observed, “and we used our plow, which has moved four times in the last six years.”
While the storm has passed, it sure left a lasting impression.
“The snowbank will be here until spring!” May exclaimed.
