OttawaPhotos

Ottawa's massive snowstorm, in pictures

Commuters in Ottawa and across eastern Ontario knew a storm was coming Tuesday morning, but even so, what hit the region was more than many could handle.

Photos from Tuesday's big storm capture commuter frustration, beauty of winter

CBC News Posted: Feb 16, 2016 3:54 PM EST | Last Updated: February 17, 2016

Commuters in Ottawa and across eastern Ontario knew what was coming Tuesday morning, but the reality was actually evenworse as 51.2 centimetres of snow fell by the end of the day in the capital.

So, naturally, some people made alternate arrangements.

Skiing down the sidewalk on Somerset St W during the Ottawa snowstorm via @JackpineCo #ottnews #sidewalkski pic.twitter.com/njBB32CNLl
—@CBCOttawa

The only way to travel on a #snowday! Dog sledding through the streets of #Ottawa. @BlacksWeather @weathernetwork pic.twitter.com/a8i3gH5SIu
—@NancyFromCanada

TY @CalabogiePeaks & mother nature for one of the best ski days in memory. Knee deep in the east. Fantastic powder. pic.twitter.com/SHdf9v45OS
—@ChiefMNolan

Rough commute in morning and afternoon

But for those stuck going to work, roads and conditions were a mess early.

1:25 pm. Bus stuck. Rideau and Dalhousie. Pic from A. Robertson. 29cm and counting folks. pic.twitter.com/ZovMQqp5OO
—@BlacksWeather

#Traffic: Ottawa #HWY417 near Woodroffe, traffic is slow moving due to weather conditions. Use caution #traffic pic.twitter.com/xjUexCuTxN
—@511Ontario

The afternoon commute was actually worse, with massive delays at OC Transpostations.

Great shot by J.P. Unger of the Slater Station bus stop swarm... pic.twitter.com/js02l0uK3p
—@cbcallinaday

Gatineau police responded to emergencies on snowmobiles.

Nos policiers patrouillent et interviennent partout #Gatineau, mme en motoneige! #tempte #neige #snowday pic.twitter.com/t6y4wjDN7X
—@PoliceGatineau

A snow-covered city

Still, for those who took the time to notice, the city was a beautiful place once it was wrapped in a snow-white blanket.

#snowfilter pic.twitter.com/cqPjhPJTAj
—@amkfoote

You can barely see the parliament buildings. #cdnpoli #hw pic.twitter.com/awKXD1aAoE
—@HannahThibedeau

Look at all those windshield wipers. #otttraffic #ottnews #ottweather pic.twitter.com/SGPpvMb9wT
—@Codrouge

New record snowfall

51.2 centimetres of fresh snow was recorded at the Ottawa airport at the end of dayTuesday, breaking a previous single-day record of40.6 cm, which wasset on March 2, 1947.