most southern Ontario Thursday was dug into by a major winter storm as the weather system moved across eastern parts of the province, bringing heavy snow to some areas.
The Ottawa region, along with the Cornwall region and Brockville-Leeds, saw significant snow on Thursday morning, but weather warnings issued by Environment Canada expired later that afternoon.
The storm hit a large part of southern Ontario a day earlier, disrupting travel plans for thousands as Toronto’s Pearson International Airport canceled hundreds of flights, and officials reported dozens of accidents on the roads.
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“It was a significant snowfall for a good part of southern Ontario,” Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said in an interview.
“We saw accumulations of between 15 and 20 centimeters along the 401 corridor from the London, Kitchener, Toronto and eastward to Windsor area.”
The wintry blast prompted several school boards — including those in Toronto, York Region and Peel Region — to cancel buses Thursday as communities worked to clean up from the storm, though schools remained open. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board closed the schools.
“I think a lot of areas in southwestern and south-central Ontario were dealing with cold snaps,” Coulson said. “As you moved east, temperatures began to stay below freezing, especially as you headed toward the Ottawa area.”
Coulson said the Ottawa area saw the most snow, with between 25 and 30 centimeters dumped in the region.
Ontario Provincial Police reported several minor collisions across southern Ontario on Thursday and asked the public to avoid any unnecessary travel.
Pearson and Ottawa International Airports warned travelers to check their flight status before heading out, and some flights scheduled earlier in the day were delayed or cancelled.
The Toronto Transit Commission said all of its service routes experienced general delays related to inclement weather, while GO Transit, which serves the Greater Golden Horseshoe, said it had canceled some buses.
In Ottawa, OC Transpo said it was also making necessary service adjustments.
Coulson said the snowfall from the storm is unlikely to melt quickly because temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing.
“Temperatures are getting colder across the province,” he said.
The colder than normal weather is likely to continue at least till the first week of February.
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