YESTERDAY’S snowfall proved treacherous for drivers with rescue crews called to two separate incidents before 9am.
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Cabonne Council staff rescued a female driver whose Holden ute had slowed and then became stuck in snow on an access road to Mount Canobolas near the vacant Mountain Tea House site at around 7.30am yesterday.
Council workers found the woman, who was alone in the vehicle, while inspecting the roads following yesterday’s morning snowfalls.
Cabonne Council’s spokesman Dale Jones said one staff member brought the woman down the mountain in a council works vehicle while his colleague retrieved her vehicle.
“I think she had only been there a matter of minutes when they spoke to her,” Mr Jones said.
Mr Jones said the woman was lucky Cabonne staff found her when they did.
“She probably would have been in trouble had they not been coming the other way,” he said.
Mr Jones said the woman was from Western Australia and obviously wasn’t used to driving in these conditions and the incident highlighted the dangers of driving on the mountain when roads were affected by snow and ice.
Mr Jones said workers witnessed several cars attempt to drive up the mountain only to turn around when they realised their cars were losing their grip on the road.
Due to the amount of snow on Mount Canobolas access roads were expected to remain closed until at least Saturday with boom gates locked and road closed signs in place.
“There was about 30cm of snow over the roadway at the top of the mountain this morning [yesterday] and because parts of the access receive little sun, it takes some time for the snow to melt,” he said.
Mr Jones reminded motorists it’s an offence to drive past a road closed sign.
“Cabonne’s priority is the safety of road users and we will endeavour to ensure the roads are open should conditions allow it,” he said.
“But if snow or ice make the roads dangerous, the boom gates will be closed.”
Emergency service were also called to an accident on the Pinnacle Road at around 8.55am yesterday.
The two occupants of the car were unhurt when a branch pierced the windscreen of their vehicle, wedging in the console.
The vehicle was towed from the scene.
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au