LIVE: Snowy Southwestern Ontario faces another wintry blast

As if we didn’t have enough snow already, Thursday was bringing another wintry wallop from Bruce County around Owen Sound all the way southeast toward the London area and beyond. Follow along below for to-the-minute coverage from our journalists across the region

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1:20 p.m. Ontario Provincial Police say a section of Bluewater Highway between Goderich and Grand Bend was shut down due to poor visibility in the aftermath of a crash that officers were investigating.

Meanwhile, they said Hwy 402 was fully open and at this point there were no issues on Hwy. 401 or Hwy. 403.

1 p.m. Perth County has declared Thursday’s storm a “significant weather event,” a designation applying to all its roads. Per local officials, that means there is “an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways within the municipality.”

They added: “All non-essential travel is strongly discouraged.”

12:45 p.m. London city hall closed all community centres, arenas, indoor pools and Storybook Gardens as of 1 pm Thursday to noon on Friday.

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11:55 a.m. Here’s a recap of the London area forecast from Environment Canada: Snow squalls are possible into Thursday night with at least 30 cm of snow by Friday morning. “Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility.”

11:38 a.m. Officials in Oxford County have announced that libraries in Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, Thamesford, Brownsville and Otterville have been closed due to the stormy weather.

11:20 a.m. A helpful neighbor in London:

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10:55 a.m. We’ve all heard of lake-effect snow, but what exactly does that mean? Reporter Jennifer Bieman dug into the science behind the snowfall to explain a weather phenomenon that pounds Southwestern Ontario every winter. Read it here.

10:31 a.m. The view this morning in downtown Lucan

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Meanwhile, it’s relatively clear in Exeter, though some businesses are closed and winds are whipping. Environment Canada warns Exeter could get between 30 and 60 cm of snow by Thursday night.

10:22 a.m. It appears the morning storm in the London area has eased, at least for now. Hwy. 401 in both directions in Elgin County is now open, according to Ontario Provincial Police, who are urging drivers to remain cautious.

10:10 a.m. Ontario Provincial Police in Norfolk County echoed their colleagues across the region, urging drivers to take a slow, cautious approach due to the snowy, icy roads. “With additional snowfall and heavy wind gusts expected throughout the morning and into the afternoon, road conditions remain hazardous,” Const. Andrew Gamble said in a statement.

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Gray County and Bruce County have both declared “significant weather events” given what’s happened already and what’s in the forecast.

10 a.m.

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9:37 a.m. The nasty weather factored into a slew of Thursday morning crashes across Elgin County, Ontario Provincial Police say. As of 9:30 am, police said officers were “responding to numerous motor vehicle collisions” and noted: “Winter weather conditions and failing to adjust driving behaviors to those conditions (were) an instrumental contributing factor.”

9:30 a.m. London Public Library has announced it is canceling all programs for Thursday. The branches will be open as usual, save for Carson and Lambeth, which will remain closed.

9:24 a.m. Ontario Provincial Police say they’re investigating a fatal collision between a snowplow and a passenger vehicle that happened at about 6 am Thursday near Listowel. The collision happened in a rural area on Perth Line 86 between Perth Road 136 and Perth Road 140. The plow driver wasn’t hurt, police said, but a 33-year-old driving the passenger vehicle was killed. The deceased is from the Perth County community of Gowanstown, located not far from the crash scene. Police said the investigation was ongoing.

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Also, the two large Stratford-area school boards, Avon Maitland District and Huron-Perth Catholic, have closed all their schools due to the wintry weather.

9:15 a.m. And the closures continue, with Western University announcing it’s shutting down for the day. That means all in-person classes and exams are canceled though some instructors may be able to offer lessons online. “Operational plans will continue to ensure students in residence are cared for and that critical university infrastructure remains operational.”

Also, the Stratford-Perth Archives Reading Room is closed for the day.

9:05 a.m. A note from the Middlesex-London Health Unit:

“Reflecting our commitment to the safety of our clients and staff, the offices of the Middlesex-London Health Unit are closed today due to the winter storm. All appointments are cancelled. You can expect a call from a member of our team shortly about a new appointment date and time. Stay safe, stay warm, and check in on your elderly neighbors.”

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8:48 a.m.

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8:40 a.m. We see some cancellations have started on flights scheduled to leave London International Airport. Here’s the full listing right here.

8:12 a.m. Commuting in or out of London today? Then you better plan ahead, says the OPP, after weather conditions forced the closing of Highway 402 at Highway 401. It wasn’t immediately clear when the highway would reopen.

8:06 a.m. In Mitchell in Perth County, buses were canceled but schools remained open for those able to get there safely.

7:58 a.m. Dundas Street in downtown London was all but deserted early Thursday, looking east, in the fallout of the overnight snow squalls.

7:46 a.m. Attention ski and snowboard fans – Blue Mountain Resort pushed its opening day up five days because of the early lake-effect snowfall and colder temperatures. Originally set for Dec. 12, the popular ski hill north of Toronto will now kick off the season on Saturday, Dec. 7, with the first chairlift running from 9 am to 4:30 pm

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7:40 a.m. London police warned drivers to “avoid unnecessary travel.” and advised travelers to slow down. Environment Canada is warning that blowing snow poses a significant hazard throughout the day. “Very poor to zero visibility at times.”

7:25 a.m. The weather fallout extends across Southwestern Ontario, with traffic troubles in Brantford:

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7:04 a.m. In the Owen Sound area, an estimated one inch of snow fell overnight and school buses are canceled. The community should expect 50 cm of snow on Thursday.

7:01 a.m. Stratford, Mitchell and southern Perth County should expect 25 centimeters of snow between now and Friday morning.

6:59 a.m. Environment Canada warns London, already hammered with snow earlier this week, will get as much as 60 centimeters more by Friday morning. The snowfall will peak at 10 cm per hour and last into tonight. “Travel is extremely hazardous due to reduced visibility,” the national weather agency said.

6:56 a.m. Hwy. 402 westbound lanes are closed, police say.

6:52 a.m. In its own statement, the London District Catholic school board noted that all extracurricular events – Christmas concerts, for example – are canceled for the day, too.

6:45 a.m. Londoners woke up to another blast of snow, a warning that much more looms and announcements that the two major school boards had shut down schools for the day. Thames Valley District school board officials said in a statement that “the safety of all students, staff and community members is a priority and decisions related to school closures are not made lightly.”

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