Blowing snow and tricky road conditions have created problems for drivers throughout southwestern Ontario, including Windsor-Essex, on Wednesday.
Ontario Provincial Police report that the westbound lanes of Highway 401 were shut down in the morning at Puce Road due to an earlier multi-vehicle crash.
Authorities indicate that only minor injuries have been reported.
Police are urging drivers to steer clear of the area and find alternate routes while emergency crews work at the scene.
A segment of Highway 402 in Lambton County is also closed westbound at Centre Road because of what police describe as multiple accidents.
The OPP states that road conditions and visibility in some areas are poor, mainly due to strong winds.
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Stacey Mc Guire, acting executive director of operations for the city, mentions that despite high winds and blowing snow, Wednesday has been “business as usual” regarding deploying their 21 city and contracted plowing and salting trucks starting at 4 a. m.
“Nothing really too crazy today except that we had to wait until the snow stopped in order for those roads to really clear up and become dry – or wet we like to call it – where you can see the pavement,” she told .
Mc Guire explains they always send out trucks first to E. C. Row Expressway – with three trucks assigned specifically for it. If they anticipate slippery conditions, they prioritize bridge decks or steep areas.
<p“But when we go into a full rollout like this, where we know we're going to get steady snow for a period of time, we'll send everybody out to all of our arterial and collector routes.”
This includes routes like Tecumseh Road, Riverside Drive, Howard Avenue, and Walker Road, she added.
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Riverside Drive is covered in snow on the morning of Jan. 15, 2026. (Kerri Breen/CBC)
“We have enough trucks that we can cover all of those routes simultaneously throughout the city. So we don’t go from one section of the city to another. We’re distributed all around the city.”
The strong wind also influences where and when trucks are prioritized according to Mc Guire.
“Riverside Drive is a great example where we hit those areas adjacent to parks because the wind can really whip through those spots – blowing snow right over the road just after we’ve cleared it.”
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Here’s how to drive safely in snowy winter weather
Jacob Hammoud, operations manager at i Drive, shares tips for safe winter driving.
Stacey Mc Guire, acting executive director of operations for the city, mentions that despite high winds and blowing snow, Wednesday has been “business as usual” regarding deploying their 21 city and contracted plowing and salting trucks starting at 4 a. m.
“Nothing really too crazy today except that we had to wait until the snow stopped in order for those roads to really clear up and become dry – or wet we like to call it – where you can see the pavement,” she told .
Mc Guire explains they always send out trucks first to E. C. Row Expressway – with three trucks assigned specifically for it. If they anticipate slippery conditions, they prioritize bridge decks or steep areas.
<p“But when we go into a full rollout like this, where we know we're going to get steady snow for a period of time, we'll send everybody out to all of our arterial and collector routes.”
This includes routes like Tecumseh Road, Riverside Drive, Howard Avenue, and Walker Road, she added.
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