All Sudbury area schools closed due to freezing rain, school buses cancelled across the north

Rick Wyman has the latest forecast for what is expected to be a wintry weekend in northeastern Ontario.

All schools and childcare services in the four Sudbury area school boards are closed Monday due to freezing rain and icy conditions.

“Due to the freezing rain, icy conditions and in the interest of safety, all schools and board offices in the Rainbow District School Board, Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord, Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon and the Sudbury Catholic District School Board are closed today,” a news release said Monday morning.

Students already had Monday off due to a scheduled professional development day for teachers and staff, but that has been cancelled.

“Schools will re-open for classes and childcare services on Tuesday, April 1,” the Rainbow District School Board said in a news release.

Elk Lake, Kerns and Temagami public schools near Temiskaming Shores are also closed.

School bus cancellations

School buses across northeastern Ontario have been cancelled, except for Hearst.

School buses for all elementary students in Espanola/Massey are cancelled Monday by the Sudbury Student Services Consortium.

Algoma & Huron-Superior Transportation Services cancelled school buses Monday.

Nipissing-Parry Sound Student Transportation (NPSST) cancelled all school buses as well Monday.

“Bussing for all weather corridors are cancelled today. At this time, all schools remain open for students who can get there safely,” NPSST said.

“Parents are reminded that cancelled bus routes will not run in the afternoon; any students brought to school by other means must be picked up at the end of the school day.”

North East Tri-Board Student Transportation has also cancelled all school buses, except in Hearst.

Freezing rain warning

The City of Greater Sudbury remains under a freezing rain warning Monday morning as the “hazardous storm continues.”

“Freezing rain will transition to ice pellets and then snow from west to east this morning. Areas near North Bay and to the south have changed to rain early this morning as temperatures are just above the freezing mark,” Environment Canada said in a weather alert at 5:30 a.m.

“Easterly winds will become northerly on Monday morning with gusts up to 50 km/h. This may exacerbate the situation if there is ice build-up on tree limbs and power lines.”

Total ice accretion between 10 and 20 mm is expected.

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Power outage closes school

Meanwhile, a power outage in Mactier has prompted Near North District School Board to close MacTier Public School on Monday.