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Ontario Provincial Police say they’ve responded to more than 50 crashes across the southwestern region since Sunday morning.
Police are warning people in the London area to stay home Sunday as a low pressure system from the United States passes through, bringing with it a major winter storm.
“We’ve responded to 57 crashes and counting since 8 a.m.,” West Region OPP’s Sgt. Ed Sanchuk, told CBC News Sunday evening. “Roadways are still covered, they’re slick and slippery.”
Environment Canada placed London under a yellow snowfall warning, with snow totals expected to reach between 10 to 15 centimetres before easing off later in the night. Daytime temperatures will dip to near -23 C with wind chill, said meteorologist Samantha Mauti.
“We’re expecting snow to be heavy at times through the day today and into the evening. Through the evening, we are expecting the intensity of the snow to ease up a little bit, but that’s probably just a little bit before midnight,” she said.
“But snow is expected to end early tomorrow morning.”
(Environment and Climate Change Canada)
A yellow warning is typically the least severe and includes moderate impacts which are localized and short-term. Officials are warning that hazardous weather can cause disruptions and are asking drivers to be careful on the roads.
Avoid non-essential travel, provincial police say
Ontario Provincial Police in the West Region are also urging that residents don’t travel unless they absolutely have to.
“You might want to just stay off the roadways and stay home where you’re going to be safe,” Sanchuk said in a video posted to X earlier in the day.
Here we go again! 10 to 40 cm of Snow expected in some communities in West Region. #OPP urging drivers to SLOW DOWN and drive according to the road and weather conditions. Staying home and OFF the roadways would be the safest place to be! #WROPP ^es pic.twitter.com/SpAIbg7yFc
For those who are travelling, Sanchuk suggests drivers keep their headlights on, drive according to weather conditions and stock up on gas and washer fluid. He said drivers need to be prepared for any unexpected changes.
“With the blowing snow, you may run into whiteout conditions and zero visibility,” he said, adding that drivers should follow detours if they come across a closed roadway to ensure everyone’s safety.
Mauti also cautioned of the risks of blowing snow amid intense winds which will be gusting around 40 to 50 kilometres per hour, she said. There are possibilities of flurries and snow squalls continuing from Monday morning into the afternoon, she added.
Flights cancellations, delays across Ontario
At London International Airport, several flights to and from cities including Toronto and Calgary have been cancelled or delayed due to the weather.
Other parts of the province are grappling with heavier snowfall, including Toronto and the GTA, which are under a more severe, orange warning. The storm has forced Toronto’s Pearson and Billy Bishop airports to cancel more than half of their flights on Sunday.
Mauti said the snowy weather is a result of a low pressure system that originated in the U.S., which has left at least 500,000 people without power and has resulted in thousands of flight cancellations.
“We are just kind of the northern bit of the system that’s passing through and affecting a good chunk of the northeastern United States,” said Mauti.
“Generally, the further south you are, the more snow you are getting and so the northern shores around Lake Ontario are seeing the most amount of snow.”
The wintery weather follows a deep freeze that gripped southwestern Ontario earlier on the weekend. Temperatures dipped below -30 C between Friday and Saturday morning, leading to widespread cold warnings across the region.
Provincial police are urging residents to avoid non-essential travel and stay home. (Amanda Margison/CBC)
This comes as the City of London officials said on Friday that they are now feeling the strain of a provincewide shortage of road salt which has led to city crews adjusting its winter road maintenance operations.
CBC London has asked the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board whether this will cause any possible school closures and will update this story if there is a response.
As of Sunday morning, the City of St. Thomas, south of London declared a significant weather event for all its roads and sidewalks due to heavy snowfall.
“The City of St. Thomas wishes to note that the declaration is not a notice of reduced levels of service or road closures, but a reminder that caution is to be exercised when travelling on City streets and sidewalks, and that it may take longer than usual to maintain or improve their condition,” officials said in a news release.
Brief period of snow expected Monday
Overnight temperatures are expected to hit a low of -14 C, feeling like -23 C with wind chill and an estimated two to four centimeters of snow.
Drivers can expect a messy commute early morning Monday as a lake effect and risk of snow squalls takes place, however that is expected to move through the region fairly quickly.
“We are not expecting any snow after that band clears out,” she said.” We are still expecting some below seasonal temperatures. The normal temperature for London this time of year is a high of -3 C.”
Temperatures for Monday will have a high of -10 C, feeling like -19 with wind chill, and colder temperatures will likely continue throughout the week, said Mauti.
