A yellow snow squall warning was issued for London and Middlesex County late Monday morning, prompting Ontario Provincial Police to advise drivers to slow down on local highways.
The warning, released just before 10:30 a. m., indicated that local snow squalls would lead to lower visibility throughout the morning, with conditions expected to get better by midday.
“A band of lake effect snow will impact the region over the next few hours. The biggest concern with the lake effect will be significantly reduced visibility,” the warning said, adding that local snowfall amounts near five centimetres were possible.
Yellow snow squall watches remained active in Huron County.
The new snowfall came on top of approximately 17 centimetres that fell in the London area during Sunday, according to Environment Canada. Local roads and highways stayed either partially or fully covered in snow on Monday morning as a result.
The already slippery road conditions led to several collisions late Monday morning, provincial police reported.
Multiple accidents were noted in both eastbound and westbound lanes of Hwy. 401 near Highbury Avenue before 11 a. m., OPP said in a post on X.
About an hour earlier, police closed the eastbound lanes of Hwy. 402 from Wonderland Road to Hwy. 401 due to black ice. The highway reopened around 11:30 a. m., but police warned that conditions remained slick.
Earlier that morning, an accident on eastbound Hwy. 401 in Woodstock resulted in two lanes being closed.
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Collision-related traffic backups along the westbound lanes of Hwy. 401 through Highbury Avenue on Jan. 26, 2026. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
School buses were canceled on Monday in Oxford County because of hazardous road conditions; however, schools stayed open. Buses elsewhere continued their normal operations.
“Drivers are crashing because they’re failing to slow down. The roadways may look clear, but they are actually a sheet of ice,” said Sgt. Ed Sanchuk in a video posted to X.
“When you see flashing emergency lights.. that’s your cue as a driver to please slow down. We have people going by us doing highway speeds, and the roadways are like a sheet of ice, and they’re sliding into ditches, almost striking our officers.”
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Victoria Park in London, Ont. on a snowy afternoon, Jan. 21, 2026. (Matthew Trevithick/CBC)
Travel issues have also spread to air travel.
Backlogs at Toronto Pearson International Airport due to the storm caused numerous flight delays and cancellations on Monday affecting some flights coming from or going to London.
Forecasters say localized snow squalls could add up to five more centimetres for areas north of London before easing off around midday.
Environment Canada reports that this snowfall resulted from a major winter system bringing blowing snow, low visibility and temperatures well below seasonal averages.
The weather agency mentions it may issue cold weather alerts or warnings later Monday as gusty winds move in; overnight lows are expected around -16 C with wind chill values close to -27.
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