Intense Ontario snow strands vehicles, knocks out power, and is heading south

Muskoka reacts to major snowfall Muskoka residents were faced with nearly a metre of snowfall, which led to hundreds getting stuck on a closed Highway 11

Intense snow squalls battering Ontario moved south after burying some parts of the province under more than a metre of snow, stranding vehicles and prompting one town to declare a state of emergency.

Gravenhurst, a town in Ontario's Muskoka region hit with around 140 centimetres of snowfall, declared a state of emergency early Sunday, citing a highway closure and limited emergency services.

Premier Doug Ford said the provincial government was working closely with local authorities to help them respond to the storm. Ford said he was relieved no injuries or deaths have been reported.

"As cleanup crews continue their work, the best thing people in the area can do is stay home and stay safe until power is restored and roads and highways have been safely opened again," he said in a statement posted to social media.

Snowmobile-riding first responders took to otherwise impassable roads to help rescue people from stranded vehicles around Muskoka, police said. It was unclear how many people were still stranded as of Sunday, though a police spokesperson suggested some had been stuck overnight.

Ontario Provincial Police extended a closure of Highway 11 on Sunday to encompass a nearly 100-kilometre stretch between Orillia and Huntsville after people got trapped the previous day.

People who requested help had been pulled from the highway by Sunday morning as work continued into the afternoon to tow the last abandoned cars, said Brookyln Harker, OPP Central Region's media relations coordinator.

The focus turned to combing through side roads to check for anyone who needed help, she said.

Rescued motorists were sent to local shelters, including Gravenhurst Town Hall, which was powered by generators as widespread power outages hit the area.

Hydro One, the provincial utility, reported that the number of customers without power had come down to around 35,000 by Sunday afternoon, from over 60,000 earlier in the day.

Blowing snow off Lake Huron overwhelmed communities along its eastern shores, temporarily shuttering roads, community centres and transit operations in some cities. Sault Ste. Marie and Bracebridge, two of the other hardest-hit communities, were both digging out from more than a metre of snow, Environment Canada said.

As the winds shifted, snow squall warnings were issued for a swath of southwestern Ontario on Sunday.

Environment Canada warned that areas around London, the Bruce Peninsula and Collingwood could be in store for more than 30 centimetres of snow by Tuesday.

A winter weather travel advisory was also in place for a band stretching from around Kitchener to Newmarket, where the forecast suggested between five and 10 centimetres of snow could fall Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1, 2024