Winter weather wallops central Ontario

A cyclist in the snow in Barrie, Ont., on Fri., Jan 3., 2025 (CTV News/David Sullivan)

School bells are silent as the clang of plows echo off homes where children lie sleeping peacefully in bed.

Most school transportation consortiums and school boards have cancelled school buses, and both Georgian College and Lakehead University, have shut the doors for the day.

Both the Simcoe County District School Board and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic School Board have closed schools for the day.

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In a nearly unprecedented move, Environment Canada threw up three advisories for Barrie, Collingwood and Hillsdale this morning. (Additional areas effected are listed below)

Not only has it issued a winter storm warning, and a snow squall watch, but it also released a blowing snow advisory to boot.

Winter Storm on roads

• Snow is expected to end in the morning, but the commute is being impacted.
• Rapidly accumulating snow is making travel difficult in some areas.
• Snow squalls off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay expected to develop Thursday afternoon or early evening.

Snow Squall Watch

• Local snowfall accumulations of 20 to 40 centimetres.
• Peak snowfall rates up to five centimetres per hour
• Poor to near zero visibility in heavy snow and blowing snow Thursday afternoon through to Friday afternoon

Blowing Snow Advisory

• Wind becoming northwest at 20 kilometres per hour, gusting to 40 km/h, then increasing to 40 km/h and gusting to 60 later this morning.
• Wind chill -10C this morning and -15C this afternoon.

Other areas with the trifecta of Environment Canada’s warnings, watchings and wrath-filled statements include:

Innisfil, New Tecumseth, Angus, Midland, Coldwater, Orr Lake, Mount Forest, Arthur, Northern Wellington County, Newmarket, Georgina, Northern York Region, Orangeville, Grand Valley, Southern Dufferin County, Orillia, Lagoon City, Washago, Owen Sound, Blue Mountains, Northern Grey County, Kincardine, Shelburne and Mansfield.