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The London region faced its first significant snowfall of the season with sweeping snow squalls that cancelled school buses on Monday morning and prompted a warning from provincial police.
Environment Canada was calling for up to 50 centimetres of snow in parts of Southwestern Ontario, including London, as northwesterly winds bring intense bands of snow off Lake Huron.
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Areas near the Lake Huron shore could see more than 50 cm of snow accumulation by Tuesday morning, the national weather agency said.
Ontario Provincial Police in the London area urged drivers to stay home as snow blankets much of the region.
“If you don’t have to travel, please do me a favour, please stay home where you are going to be safe,” Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a video posted on X Monday morning. “If you are travelling, anticipate that you are going to experience significant snowfall. . . . We’re asking people to reduce their speed.”
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All school buses in the Thames Valley District school board were cancelled for the day due to “unplowed roads, blowing snow and poor visibility” in the counties. Most schools remained open, though officials announced the following were closed for the day:
- North Middlesex District high school in Parkhill
- East Williams Memorial public school in Ailsa Craig
- McGillivray Central public school in Ailsa Craig
- Parkhill-West Williams public school in Parkhill
- Wilberforce public school in Lucan
All buses in the London District Catholic school board were cancelled for the day on Monday, but schools remained open.
The snow squall watch by Environment Canada covers London, eastern Middlesex County, Parkhill, Stratford and Oxford, Huron and Perth counties. Western Middlesex County and Komoka are under a snow squall watch.
Environment Canada was calling for peak snowfall rates of five to 10 cm per hour causing near-zero visibility on some roads.
The national weather agency said power outages were possible due to the heavy and wet nature of the snow.
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