For many in the London region, it was a bit like driving in a snow globe.
A brief, but intense snowfall early Tuesday morning dropped several centimetres of the white stuff across the region over a short period of time. As the snow moved in, Environment Canada issued a winter weather travel advisory for London, Middlesex County, Oxford County, and Elgin County.
“A swath of snow is expected to continue to move through the region early [Tuesday] morning. Snowfall rates could be as high as 2 cm per hour in the heaviest bands which could rapidly reduce visibilities to below 1,000 m at times,” the national weather agency said in a statement.
OPP were called to numerous collisions across the region, including one that involved a fatality.
“We are asking people that if you are traveling to reduce your speed, give yourself enough time, room, and distance between you and that other vehicle,” said Acting Sergeant Ed Sanchuk. “Make sure your entire head lighting system is on. Clear all the snow off your vehicle because if you can’t see it, how are you going to avoid it?”
Sanchuk added that he had seen several vehicles driving Tuesday as if it were summer time.
“Unfortunately those individuals that are driving like that are going to end up in ditches, crashes, and you’re going to have an officer knocking on your family’s door saying you’ve been taken to hospital. We don’t want to be knocking on anyone’s door saying their loved one has been injured or even worse deceased as a result of failing to slow down in these winter conditions.”
The snowy weather also led to dozens of school bus delays from Strathroy to London to Woodstock. The full list can be found at mybigyellowbus.ca.
The heavy snow is expected to transition to flurries or rain by the afternoon as the temperature rises to 3 C.
