Snow squalls force widespread school bus cancellations in Simcoe County

Get ready for a wintry blast with snow squalls set to hit the region.

The heavy snowfall and dicey conditions on the roads led to widespread school bus cancellations across Simcoe County on Friday.

All buses and vans serving the north, central and south weather zones were called off early Friday morning because of poor road conditions and low visibility.

This includes buses to Barrie, Innisfil, Angus, Elmvale, Midland, Penetanguishene, Orillia, Alliston, Beeton, Bradford, Cookstown and Tottenham.

Officials say schools remain open for student learning, but families should expect fewer students and staff than usual as the storm continues to build.

Buses are running to Muskoka and the Collingwood, Stayner and Wasaga Beach areas.

Environment Canada issued a high-impact snow squall warning early Friday morning, noting hazardous bands of lake-effect snow off Georgian Bay are expected to stay locked over parts of the region throughout the day and into Saturday morning.

Forecasters say these bands are intense, capable of dropping snow at a rate of five to 10 centimetres per hour. Some areas could see total accumulations between 30 and 60 centimetres, with even higher amounts where the heaviest snow lingers.

Drivers are being warned to expect extremely difficult travel conditions, including stretches of near-zero visibility during bursts of heavy snow and blowing snow. Strong winds are also pushing snow across open roads, making it tough for plows to keep up and raising the possibility of temporary road closures.

The weekend isn’t expected to offer much relief. Lake-effect activity should start to ease later Friday night or into Saturday morning, but forecasters say conditions will remain unpredictable until the system slowly weakens.

Emergency officials are encouraging residents to stay home if they can and to avoid non-essential travel until conditions improve. They also advise preparing for delays and potential disruptions to transportation, services and utilities, especially in rural areas where squalls tend to be most intense.