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It’s officially a snow day for students in Waterloo region and Guelph on Monday.
Sunday evening, three school boards — Waterloo Region District School Board, Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board — announced they would be closing all schools the following day due to a winter storm that hit the region on Sunday.
For the entire day Sunday, a yellow warning has been in effect for snowfall as Environment Canada warns of reduced visibility in heavy snow.
The weather agency says about 10 to 20 cm of heavy snow is expected throughout the morning and into the night.
Environment Canada has three colour-coded weather alerts to indicate risk. It moves from yellow to orange and then to red as the severity of risk increases. Yellow is the lowest level, indicating hazardous weather with localized, short-term impact and a potential to “cause damage, disruption or health impacts.”
“We are expecting snow to be heavy at times throughout the day, with reduced visibility in both falling and blowing snow,” said Samantha Mauti, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
In its yellow warning for Sunday, Environment Canada says gusting winds from the east will reach up to 50 km/h with a wind chill of -25 in the morning and -19 in the afternoon.
WATCH | Does this winter feel unusually snowy?:
Why does this winter feel unusually snowy?
With snow falling since November, this winter has felt more snowy than usual. Frank Seglenieks, the co-ordinator of the E.D. Soulis Memorial weather station at the University of Waterloo, explains that Waterloo region has already received an average full winter’s worth of snowfall. CBC K-W spoke with Seglenieks to find out what to expect with two more months left in the season. Reporting by Diego Pizarro and Lauren Kuivenhoven.
The yellow warning is asking people to allow for extra travel time.
“Travel will likely be challenging. Roads and walkways will likely be difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” the warning notes.
Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Ed Sanchuk posted a video on social media asking people to try and stay home.
“If you do have to travel, and it’s essential, please reduce your speed, drive according the road and weather conditions, [leave] enough time, room and distance between you and other vehicles, and turn your entire headlight system on,” he told drivers.
(Environment and Climate Change Canada)
“Be prepared for the unexpected. With the blowing snow, you may run into white-out conditions and zero visibility.”
Sanchuk is urging drivers to follow all road closed signs and plan extra time for detour routes.
“I know it’s going to be frustrating. I know it’s going to add time to your already difficult commute, but you’re going to make sure that you get there safely,” Sanchuk said.
“Please make sure you take care, stay safe, get home safe to your families.”
To help residents stay safe and warm, Guelph City Hall’s front lobby will open as a warming centre starting at 7 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday.
Street parking banned
A winter street parking ban is in effect for Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo and the Township of North Dumfries.
Guelph’s ban started at 7 a.m. on Sunday. The city says the parking ban is likely to remain in place for several days during the ongoing snowfall.
The bans in Kitchener and North Dumfries came into effect at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Cambridge’s ban will come into effect at 8 p.m. on Sunday. After that, no parking will be allowed on the street at any of those three municipalities until 12 p.m. on Tuesday.
Waterloo’s street parking ban is in effect starting at 11:59 p.m. Sunday for 24 hours. Overnight parking exemptions are cancelled.
The cities say this will allow crews to continue clearing snow from roads, bike lanes and sidewalks, in order of priority. Roads are cleaned typically within the day and sidewalks can take three days, even after the significant weather event is over.
The city of Guelph says anyone caught parking on the road during the parking ban may receive a higher-cost parking ticket and be towed.
The city of Kitchener says its fine for parking on the street during a snow event is $100
GO train service affected
GO trains will be running on a special schedule because of the severe winter weather.
The following trains will not be running Sunday:
- Eastbound trains that depart Bramalea GO 28 minutes after the hour.
- Westbound trains that depart Union Station 18 minutes after the hour.
All other trains from the Kitchener station will run on an hourly basis.
Metrolinx says these service adjustments will help “run trains as smoothly as possible while keeping our trains clear of snow and ice build-up.”
The agency is asking commuters to be careful on platforms, stairways and any wet floors inside station buildings or buses.
