A messy start to what forecasters say will be a messy weekend.
The Bruce County Roads Department has declared a significant weather event.
Their last report said roads are partly to mostly snow covered and slippery with some slushy sections. There is some blowing snow in open areas but visibility ranges from fair to good Friday morning.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is reporting reduced visibility on major highways including 21 from Southampton to Goderich, and on Highway 9 from Harriston to Kincardine.
Visibility is good in southern parts of Huron and Perth but roads are also partly to mostly snow covered. There is ice under the snow on sideroads so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to stop.
There is a snow squall warning in effect for Bruce County and northern Grey County. There is a winter weather travel advisory up for Huron, Perth, and southern Grey County.
Flurries and squalls are expected to persist throughout the weekend with some localized amounts reaching 70 centimetres of snow accumulation.
The Weather Network’s modelling of the storm system suggests the lake effect snow will fall throughout the weekend, making travel extremely dangerous in those squalls.
The weather forecasting agency suggests depending on the wind, the bands of snow blowing off the lake could be thick and persistent, so some areas could see thigh-high snow while others just a few centimetres.
In those heavy bands of snow, the Weather Network warns travel could be all but impossible.
Environment Canada is urging people to postpone travel until conditions improve.
