Intense band of squalls forced Highway 26 closure

Blowing snow made driving difficult resulting in bus cancellations and forcing police to close roads like Highway 26.

Whiteouts, blowing snow, and messy road conditions are expected Thursday as an intense band of lake-effect snow squalls continues to pummel the region.

Provincial police blamed the severe weather for multiple road closures. On Thursday morning, Highway 26 was closed in Springwater Township due to poor visibility caused by the snow squalls.

“Highway 26 is a major route with open fields, which can lead to blowing snow and reduced visibility. This can make it prone to more closures during severe weather,” the OPP noted in an email to CTV News.

Police closed Highway 26 from Horseshoe Valley Road to County Road 10, County Road 10 from Highway 26 to County Road 9, and Klondike Park Road from Veterans Way to Highway 26.

The area fully reopened shortly before 3 p.m., but police still advised avoiding travel if possible. “As it may be difficult for emergency services to reach you if you become stuck or stranded,” OPP stated.

Environment Canada issued a yellow warning for the area, noting the significantly reduced visibility in heavy and blowing snow.

“Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” the weather agency added.

The system could dump upwards of 40 centimetres of accumulation before it’s all said and done.

“There is uncertainty with the exact locations of snow squalls that will develop and snowfall accumulations may be quite variable across the region,” the agency emphasized.

The squalls are expected to linger throughout the day on Thursday, easing by the evening.