An ice storm working its way across southern Ontario shuttered schools and snarled traffic on Wednesday but Environment Canada said the weather wasn't expected to be as severe as similar events in the recent past.
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Peter Kimbell said the agency has issued freezing rain warnings for a large swath of southern Ontario, covering the Greater Toronto Area, extending west to Lake Huron and south to Lake Erie. Precipitation is expected north of those areas as well, though Kimbell said it will be more likely to take the form of ice pellets and snow.
Ice accumulation will likely range between five and 15 millimetres in impacted areas, Kimbell said, largely falling short of maximums of 30 millimetres set during ice storms that blanketed eastern Ontario in 1998 and the Toronto region in 2013.
"It's certainly significant," Kimbell said, citing the impact on schools and transportation. "But it's not in the same category as the bigger ice storms that we've seen before."
Kimbell said impacted regions will likely experience the worst of the storm throughout Wednesday morning and early afternoon. Freezing rain is expected to taper off to drizzle as the day progresses, he said.
Hydro issues are possible in areas where ice buildup topples tree branches or otherwise impacts power lines, but Kimbell said relatively low winds should limit the number of potential outages.
Craig Morton, the Manager of Roads, Stormwater and Rail Operations with the City of Barrie, says an army of 25 trucks were sent out to apply sand and salt on the roads, along with 19 sidewalk machines. He says freezing rain can be even more challenging than snow for workers. “The freezing rain takes more salt to remove it, and of course, you can’t plough it off really. You have to use either salt to melt it, or sand to provide traction.”
The effects of the storm should be further mitigated on Thursday when sub-zero temperatures climb above the freezing mark for much of the impacted area and help melt some of the accumulated ice.
Until then, however, many school boards and some post-secondary institutions cancelled classes and bus routes due to the slippery road conditions.
School buses from the Simcoe County District School Board, York Region and Kawartha Lakes were cancelled for the day. All school buses were cancelled and all schools were closed in Wellington-Dufferin due to freezing rain and ice pellets.
All schools and board offices in the Upper Grand District School Board were closed and all buses and taxis were cancelled. All schools and facilities with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board were also closed. This includes before and after school programs, Continuing and Adult Education program and evening permits.
As far as collisions go, it seems drivers heeded the warnings from police. OPP in Dufferin say it was a quiet day on the roads. “A lot lighter traffic flow and therefore we haven’t had too many incidents called in,” said OPP Const. Shannon Gordanier
Barrie Police say they responded to just four crashes, with no injuries reported, which they say is a good indication drivers are paying attention and driving according to conditions.
***With files from the Canadian Press***
