Weather alert issued with up to 50 cms of snowfall possible

A dangerous day out on the roads with the number of collisions mounting each hour.

A weather alert from Environment Canada warns of snow squalls, with up to 50 centimetres of accumulation possible over 24 hours in parts of Simcoe County.

The national weather agency issued the Orange Watch for snow squalls at 10:43 Wednesday morning, adding heavy and blowing snow would “significantly reduce visibility.”

The system is expected to move through the region Wednesday night and continue into Thursday night.

• Hourly and 7-day forecast on our CTVNewsBarrie.ca weather hub

Forecasters say an Alberta clipper hitting the area Wednesday morning will ease by late afternoon, and behind it cold northwesterly winds will sweep in, leading to more snow squalls off Georgian Bay.

“The snow squalls are expected to develop later this evening and continue through Thursday,” the weather office noted. “Snowfall amounts will be highly variable across the area.”

The roads are covered with a mess of heavy snowfall and slush, making driving dicey in areas. Officials warn road closures are possible and advise motorists to take it easy on the roads, allowing plenty of time to get where they’re going.

Environment Canada’s Senior Climatologist Dave Phillips says the multi-day storm is far from over. “We’re going to get squalls - not just this light fluffy stuff - but real squalls with major amounts, so we could see five to 10 centimetres today, five to 10 centimetres tonight, and we’re calling for 20 to 30 for tomorrow.”

And if you think we’ve had a lot of snow lately, you’re not wrong. Phillips confirmed that the region has received snow on 20 of the last 21 days.