Winter blast impacts London, Ont. region
A winter storm warning covers London-Middlesex, Huron-Perth, Sarnia-Lambton and Oxford.
Elgin, Simcoe, and Norfolk County meanwhile are under a winter weather travel advisory.
A Texas low is headed toward southern Ontario with a swath of heavy moisture laden snow.
Winter storm warnings stretch east into Toronto and snowfall warnings are in place northeast toward Ottawa.
The storm will start with snowfall Friday afternoon and there is the potential for rain mixed with snow close to Lake Erie.
The areas that are under the travel advisory will see less accumulation, as rain is expected to mix with snow as the system arrives.
The latest forecast model is showing close to 20 cm of heavy wet snow in London and surrounding areas through Friday night and into early Saturday, with the heaviest snow expected to fall Friday night.
There is the potential for snowfall rates of 4 cm per hour between 6 p.m. and midnight, and travel is not recommended as high snowfall rates will lead to hazardous travel and strong winds with reduced visibility on area roads.
The low-pressure system will exit overnight and take the heavy snow with it, and you can expect the bulk of the snow to wind down by sunrise Saturday.
The City of London’s response to the winter storm
As the storm approaches the region, the City of London is letting the public know how to prepare in advance.
Londoners are asked to avoid unnecessary travel and to drive safely on roads and highways if they must commute during the snowstorm. In addition, pedestrians are advised to be cautious as parking lots, walkways and sidewalks may become slippery.
City crews are out applying sand and salt to roads and sidewalks and “will continue to do so throughout the snowfall.” As part, on overnight street parking is banned for this evening to give snow plows room to clear streets.
Snowfall may also cause power outages to occur. The city advises residents to treat intersections as a four-way stop in the event of a power outage, and to refer to London Hydro for information on outages. In addition, hazards such as downed tree branches on power lines or downed power lines can be reported to London Hydro’s emergency line at 519-661-5555.
City of London community centers remain open at this time, as are all London Public Library branches.
For transit riders, the city cautions that delays may occur during the storm, and if people must travel, to dress warmly and give themselves plenty of time to get to their destination.
Finally, a full list of closures and cancellations in regard to recreational facility closures and program cancellations can be found on the City of London website.
London police are also reminding the public to be prepared, posting to social media a list of things that people should keep in their vehicles in case of emergency.
Here’s a look at the latest forecast
Friday night: Snow at times heavy and blowing snow. Risk of a thunderstorm. Snowfall amount of between 10 to 20 cm. Wind northeast 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low minus 1.
Saturday: Snow ending in the morning then clearing. Wind north 30 km/h becoming light early in the afternoon. High plus 4. Wind chill minus 8 in the morning.
Sunday: Cloudy. High plus 5.
Monday: Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of flurries or rain showers. High plus 4.
Tuesday: A mix of sun and cloud with 60 per cent chance of flurries. High plus 1.
Wednesday: Sunny. High minus 2.
Thursday: A mix of sun and cloud. High minus 3.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.