Southern Ontario storm: What you need to know

Monday, February 2, 2015, 9:28 AM - Residents across southwestern and southern Ontario face treacherous road conditions and closings as a major winter storm continues to affect the region.

The early morning hours on Monday will be the most intense for the GTA, after snow falling overnight. Add strong winds and low temperatures, and that spells poor visibility through the early morning hours. 

"Conditions will improve by mid-day Monday," Weather Network chief meteorologist Chris Scott says. "But continued brutal wind chills and drifting snow will justify any decisions to call this Groundhog Day a Snow Day."

STORM WATCH TOOL KIT: Be prepared for winter weather with The Weather Network's online essentials: ALERTS | HIGHWAY CONDITIONS | UPLOAD PHOTOS/VIDEOS | LATEST NEWS | FOLLOW ON TWITTER

SEE ALSO: Getting a grip on winter driving

Snow forecast

While the majority of the snow will have fallen through the overnight, some additional snow and blowing snow will continue to bring hazardous travel conditions across the region. 

Here's a look at additional snowfall expected from Sunday 9 p.m. (ET) to Monday night: 

• Windsor through Kitchener: 10-20 cm 
• Burlington/Hamilton through Niagara: 20-30 cm 
• Orangeville through Kingston: 10-20 cm 
• Kincardine though Barrie: 5-10 cm

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Road conditions 

Travel is not advised Monday, especially during the morning hours, due to the amount of snow on the ground, additional snowfall and blowing snow. And "given the temperatures, salt will become less effective," cautions Dayna Vettese, another meteorologist at The Weather Network.

• Roads and Highways: Authorities were reporting more than on accident each minute as even the major routes were snow covered and packed, with icy conditions reported in many areas. Visit Beat the Traffic for current road and traffic conditions
• Traffic cameras: View traffic in real-time

• Highway 35 in Clarington
• Highway 17 in North Bay Monday morning
• Highway 8 between Clinton and Mitchell

The city of Kitchener declared an official snow event Monday morning, enforcing a city-wide parking ban until 7 a.m. Tuesday, February 3.

Transit 

Widespread delays are likely, especially Monday morning with blowing snow being the biggest concern. Commuters should check bus and train schedules before heading out.

• GO: The GTA transit service is warning of delays. For real-time status, visit GO Tracker on your mobile device 
• TTC: Visit TTC Alerts for updated service disruptions 
• VIVA: Visit Viva on Twitter for the latest route updates for the York region transit service.
  
• VIA: Visit the VIA train status site for service updates

Closings and Cancellations 

With the current winter weather, parents/guardians and students are reminded to listen to local radio stations, watch local television news stations or visit their school board website for information on school closures and bus cancellations. 

The Weather Network provides a School Day forecast for each school across the country.

• McMaster University in Hamilton: Closed for the day and all classes cancelled.
  
• Mohawk College in Hamilton: Closed for the day.
• Humber College: Daytime classes cancelled. A decision on evening classes will be made at 2 p.m. ET.
• University of Toronto: Mississauga campus closed. Downtown and Scarborough open.
  
• Sheridan College: Daytime classes cancelled. Status is evening classes still to be decided. 
• Centennial College: All daytime classes in Scarborough are closed.
• Toronto district public, Catholic and French Catholic schools: Classes are open, but busing is cancelled.
• Waterloo Region: All schools closed.
• Niagara School board: All schools closed.

Air Travel 

Delays and cancellations are possible Monday. Those with travel plans should confirm the status of their flight with the airline ahead of time.

• Pearson: More than 150 flights are cancelled, with more expected. Check the Pearson flight status site for the latest updates.
• Toronto's island airport: More than 15 morning flights are cancelled. Visit the Billy Bishop flight status site for updates.
• Hamilton International Airport: Arrivals and departures schedule 
• Flight Tracker: Track your flight for delays and cancellations at any airport across the country 

Be sure to check back frequently for updates.

DON'T MISS: Getting a grip on winter driving