PHOTOS: Intense snow squalls spread whiteouts over southern Ontario
A round of intense snow squalls hit southern Ontario on Saturday, snarling travel across the region with sudden whiteout conditions.
A clipper system moving across the Great Lakes brought intense snow squalls to southern Ontario on Saturday morning. The sudden whiteouts forced travel to a halt on many roads across the province, with snow-covered highways and accidents shutting down roads west of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
GET THE LATEST: Blowing snow threatens southern Ontario again on Sunday
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued widespread warnings ahead of the snow squalls to advise residents of the impending hazard. Blizzard warnings went up for communities near the shores of Lake Huron. The agency issued a rare snow squall warning for Toronto proper as the burst of heavy snow and high winds pushed through the GTA.
The heavy snow and sudden whiteout conditions led to major travel disruptions across southern Ontario.
The Ontario Provincial Police reported on Twitter that its officers responded to “approximately 175 accidents” across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area during and after the snow on Saturday. Multiple road closures continued into Saturday afternoon across southwestern Ontario, according to Ontario 511.
Winds will calm enough on Saturday night to offer southern Ontario a reprieve from the blowing snow. But another system approaching the region on Sunday will bring strong winds once again, whipping up the dry, fluffy snow that's already on the ground and leading to more periods of blowing and drifting snow on area roadways.
The clipper’s intense snow squalls didn’t just spread whiteout conditions over Ontario. The system’s high winds and heavy burst of snow affected the southern Prairies and the United States from the Midwest to New England, as well, with snow squall warnings stretching into the New York City metro area by the middle of Saturday afternoon.
Here’s a look at some of the imagery that came in during and after the snow squalls that swept across southern Ontario.