Residents in Ontario’s cottage country are still working to clear the massive snowfall from the weekend.
Gravenhurst, located in the Muskoka region, received 140 cm of snow and has been under a state of emergency, which is still active as of Monday morning.
Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, stated that the snowfall experienced this weekend is the highest recorded in nearly 30 years for the Muskoka area.
“Some of these accumulations are definitely historic as we look back and in terms of some big events of past these amounts that we’re talking about certainly rival many of the biggest storms we’ve ever had,” Coulson said.
Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell expressed his disbelief at how much snow fell within such a short time frame.
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“These are numbers that basically are an entire month’s worth of snow in the middle of winter, and it’s occurring really early and all at once,” Farnell said.
He pointed out that this kind of weather is surprising given how mild fall was, leading to record warm temperatures for November around the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay.
“Now, all of a sudden, the weather pattern changed, and the winds aligned for day after day and it’s that cold air coming over the record warm water that has created this setup,” Farnell said.
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All schools within Muskoka’s Trillium Lakelands District School Board have closed on Monday due to severe weather conditions. Ontario Provincial Police are advising people to stay home if they can avoid traveling since Highway 11 remains shut down.
![Click to play video: 'Major snowstorm shuts down Hwy 11']()
1:49 Major snowstorm shuts down Hwy 11
The storm system that hit central Ontario has now shifted southwestwards. Areas like Barrie, Collingwood, Port Elgin, Stratford, Woodstock, and London are currently under snow squall warnings expected to last through Tuesday.
Environment Canada warns some regions might receive additional snowfall ranging from 20 to 50 cm with potentially near-zero visibility at home possible along with power outages in certain areas due to weather conditions.
Farnell mentioned those living in cottage country aren’t out of trouble yet; more snow is anticipated for southern Ontario moving back towards Highway 11 corridor late Tuesday.
A new system arriving from west will bring extra snowfall on Wednesday into Toronto area as well as an even colder arctic air mass expected across parts of Ontario Thursday.
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Cautioning about further snow squalls expected Thursday into Friday affecting already hard-hit areas-another 30 to 50 cm could accumulate there too.
“There is rain in forecast next week but until then it’s just going be these lake effect bands hitting folks repeatedly,” Farnell said. “Unfortunately hydro crews also face similar challenges getting where they need go fix power lines which raises concerns because as time passes it gets riskier for those stuck outside.”
If travel is essential through affected areas police recommend checking MTO’s Ontario 511 Traveler Information Service for constant updates regarding road conditions on provincially maintained highways.
– With files from Isaac Callan
© 2024 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines delivered straight to your inbox once a day. The police reported that hundreds of vehicles were stranded on highways over the weekend. The authorities cautioned that more cars on roads increase risks for occupants while complicating snow removal efforts; however, all obstructions have been cleared now. The Ontario Provincial Police announced they are collaborating with the Ministry of Transportation to reopen Highway 11 for traffic. Lately on Monday Highway 11 reopened in both directions between Orillia and Huntsville. Story continues below
1:49 Major snowstorm shuts down Hwy 11
The storm system that hit central Ontario has now shifted southwestwards. Areas like Barrie, Collingwood, Port Elgin, Stratford, Woodstock, and London are currently under snow squall warnings expected to last through Tuesday.
Environment Canada warns some regions might receive additional snowfall ranging from 20 to 50 cm with potentially near-zero visibility at home possible along with power outages in certain areas due to weather conditions.
Farnell mentioned those living in cottage country aren’t out of trouble yet; more snow is anticipated for southern Ontario moving back towards Highway 11 corridor late Tuesday.
A new system arriving from west will bring extra snowfall on Wednesday into Toronto area as well as an even colder arctic air mass expected across parts of Ontario Thursday.
Story continues below
Cautioning about further snow squalls expected Thursday into Friday affecting already hard-hit areas-another 30 to 50 cm could accumulate there too.
“There is rain in forecast next week but until then it’s just going be these lake effect bands hitting folks repeatedly,” Farnell said. “Unfortunately hydro crews also face similar challenges getting where they need go fix power lines which raises concerns because as time passes it gets riskier for those stuck outside.”
If travel is essential through affected areas police recommend checking MTO’s Ontario 511 Traveler Information Service for constant updates regarding road conditions on provincially maintained highways.
– With files from Isaac Callan
© 2024 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Source link
