Sleet and snow: Winter arrives in full force across the region

A man uses a snow blower in Barrie, Ont. (Mike Walker/ CTV Barrie)

Winter has arrived in full force throughout most of Ontario, bringing both ice and snow.

Many residents waking up on Tuesday morning found their cars coated in a sheet of ice. However, relief may be in sight, as Environment Canada has ended a number of warnings for the region.

The weather office has ended a freezing rain warning for parts of Durham Region and in the Kawartha Lakes area. Elsewhere, a winter storm warning for Burk's Falls, Haliburton, Muskoka and Parry Sound has also ended.  Environment Canada issued that warning, as a Texas low turned freezing rain into ice pellets and snow.

As of 8 a.m., Environment Canada says 10 centimetres of snow has fallen in Barrie, 11 centimetres in Orillia, and seven centimetres in Coldwater. Snowfall amounts for the Muskoka area were not yet available. The weather office expects five to 10 additional centimetres of snow to fall on Tuesday, before tapering off in the afternoon.

Provincial police say the storm has wreaked havoc on the roads. According to Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, OPP have responded to more than 300 collisions since the snow started falling on Monday night.

The arrival of snow is a sigh of relief for many ski hills throughout the region, who have had to delay opening their slopes.

Both Hidden Valley and Horseshoe Resort had runs open on Tuesday, but still not as many as they’d hoped.

“We've built up on what we had open earlier and know we've been able to open three runs and two lifts,” says Jonathan Reid of Horseshoe Valley Resort. “We actually have 13 kilometers of cross country ski trail open.”

Blue Mountain Resort plans to officially open on Wednesday, while Snow Valley Ski Resort will open runs on Thursday.

Other winter activities are still struggling to grab hold of the cold. Anyone looking to go for a skate at any of Barrie’s outdoor rinks will be out of luck. However, the city is working on opening the rink at city hall for New Year’s Eve.

Anglers waiting to ice fish may be out of luck for little while still. None of the region’s waterways have enough ice to even start the season.

Snowmobile trails across the region also remain closed. It’s unclear when they may open for the season.