Snow squalls and blowing snow made for a chaotic day on southwestern Ontario roads – and while an encore performance is unlikely, temperatures and wind chill values are set to plunge overnight.

As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, a wind chill warning remains in place for Waterloo-Wellington, Huron-Perth, Grey-Bruce, Oxford-Brant and areas to the southwest, east and north.

Environment Canada says strong, gusty winds will combine with an approaching cold front to produce wind chill values of -30 to -35 overnight across much of the province.

Temperatures will rise during the day Friday, bringing wind chill values up above the -30 marker.

A snow squall warning is also in place for Huron-Perth and Bruce-Grey, with sudden, localized bursts of snow expected through the night.

By Friday morning, between 5 and 15 cm of snow could fall in those areas.

Blowing snow will remain a concern there, as it will in the rest of our coverage area.

A number of roads were closed through the day Thursday, some of which remained closed as of 6 p.m. due to concerns about conditions during the evening and overnight hours.

All roads in Huron and Perth counties were closed Thursday morning. By early afternoon, Line 86 east of Listowel was the first major road to reopen in that area.

Most roads in Huron County reopened before 5 p.m., with only three roads remaining closed: Highway 21 from Blyth Road to Amberley Road, Highway 8 from Seaforth into Perth County and Highway 4 from Clinton into Middlesex County.

In Bruce County, officials report that all roads in the southern portion of the county and on the Bruce Peninsula are closed due to weather conditions, with the exception of Bruce Road 4 between Walkerton and Hanover, Bruce Road 9 from Highway 6 to Ferndale, and Bruce Road 33.

Many of Waterloo Region’s rural roads and intersections were also closed Thursday afternoon, including Arthur Street at Sawmill Road outside St. Jacobs.

In Wellington County, Highway 89 was closed between Harriston and Mount Forest.

School buses were pulled off the roads Thursday afternoon in Wellington North Township and Dufferin County. Schools remained open, with parents asked to contact individual schools for further information.