A late blast of winter is wreaking havoc on area roads and a number of students were stuck at home in parts of southern Ontario Wednesday.
School boards in several areas cancelled buses, and in some cases schools were closed, because of snow overnight and early Wednesday morning.
Snowfall and freezing rain warnings remain in effect with accumulations of up to 15-20 centimetres or more expected in some areas by the end of the day.
Stiff winds are creating poor visibility and drifting snow. Provincial police report a series of collisions and are urging motorists to drive for the conditions.
Environment Canada has issued a number of weather warnings for the area.
A freezing rain warning is in effect for: Windsor - Essex County - Chatham-Kent - Sarnia - Lambton - Elgin - Western Middlesex County.
Freezing rain mixed at times with ice pellets and wet snow is expected Wednesday.
A snowfall warning is in effect for: London - Eastern Middlesex County - Haldimand - Oxford - Brant - Niagara - Hamilton - Huron - Perth - Region of Waterloo.
Hazardous winter travelling conditions are expected along with the freezing rain and snow. Untreated surfaces may become icy and very slippery. Motorists and pedestrians should exercise extreme caution and allow a lot of extra time to reach their destination.
Both the City of Kitchener and the City of Waterloo have banned overnight parking on city roads Wednesday night. In Kitchener, parked cars must be removed from the street before midnight, while in Waterloo parked cars must be removed by 2:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Area Cancellations for Wednesday
All Wilfrid Laurier University campuses are closed for the rest of Wednesday.
All school buses for Waterloo Region have been cancelled.
All school transportation serving Wellington Dufferin, including the city of Guelph have been cancelled.
All school buses in Elgin and Oxford County have been cancelled.
All school buses serving Middlesex County, outside of the city of London are cancelled.
In the Lambton Kent District School Board, zones 1 – 4 buses have been cancelled.
All buses for Teeswater, Lucknow & Ripley are cancelled.
At Christ Lutheran Church in Waterloo mid-week Lenten worship service is cancelled and will be held on April 20.
Huron Perth Cancellations and Closures
In Stratford District Rural Schools, the buses have been cancelled and the following schools are closed:
- St. Patrick's School (Kinkora)
- Central Perth ES
- Downie Central PS
- North Easthope PS
- Sprucedale PS
In the Clinton Seaforth Area, the buses have been cancelled and the following schools are closed:
- Clinton PS
- Clinton & District Christian School
- Holmesville PS
- Hullett PS
- Huron Centennial PS
- Seaforth PS
- St James -Seaforth
- St. Joseph-Clinton
- St. Anne's Catholic SS
- Central Huron SS - no buses but the school remains open for study purposes and those who can get there safely
- Day Care at Clinton PS is re-located to the CHSS site
The GDCI SEARS drama festival is still on assuming the highways remain open.
For Fanshawe Dual Credit at Reach, classes are cancelled and there are no buses.
Stratford Catholic Schools
All rural buses to Stratford Catholic Schools are cancelled. St. Michael Catholic Secondary School is open for study purposes only. In town buses to Catholic Elementary Schools are running.
Newry, Murphy and Kipfer buses into Stratford Gifited Program have been cancelled.
Howick CS is closed and there are no buses running.
Milverton Region
Milverton PS closed and no buses.
Mornington Central School closed and no buses.
South Huron Region
Buses have been cancelled and the following schools are closed:
- Mount Carmel
- Precious Blood
- St Boniface in Zurich
- Exeter Public
- Usborne Public
- Stephen Central
- Zurich Public
- Hensall Public
- South Huron DHS remains open for study purposes
Goderich and Area Schools
Colborne PS is closed
GDCI elementary, GPS and St. Mary's, Goderich are open with regular classes.
GDCI secondary is open for study purposes only
The GDCI SEARS DRAMA FESTIVAL is a go assuming the highways remain open.
North Huron Region
In the North Huron Region, the buses have been cancelled and the following schools are closed:
- Turnberry Central Public
- Brookside Public
- Blyth Public
- East Wawanosh Public
- Brussels Public
- Sacred Heart School in Wingham.
Wingham Public School is open but there are no special education buses.
FE Madill Secondary School is open for study purposes for those who can arrive safely. The Sears Drama Festival trip will still depart at 5:00 p.m. today unless roads close. Students participating in the Sears Drama Festival should plan to make their way into the school after lunch when it is safe for them to do so.
Mitchell Area Schools
There are no buses running to Mitchell area schools.
- Upper Thames -Closed
- St Patrick and St Columban - Closed
- Mitchell District HS - Open for Study Purposes only for those who can get there safely.
Grey Central School Closed - No Buses
Grey Central School is closed today, School Council Meeting Scheduled for tonight is also cancelled.
Listowel and Area Schools
- Listowel District Secondary School - No buses, school is open for study purposes
- Listowel Central Public School - No buses, school is open
- Listowel Eastdale - No buses, school is open
- Elma Township Public - Closed
- Wallace Public - Closed
- St. Mary's in Listowel - Closed
City of Stratford Schools
- Anne Hathaway - No country buses, school open
- Hamlet - No country buses, school open
- Bedford - No country buses, no Jen Ann pickup, school open
- Stratford Central Secondary - No country buses, school open
- Stratford Northwestern Secondary - No buses, school open for study purposes
Town of St. Marys & area
Rural buses are cancelled:
- South Perth Centennial is closed
- DCVI elementary running on alternate bus stops
- DCVI secondary open for study purposes for those who can get there safely
- Holy Name of Mary open for those who can get there safely
Other Closures
The Islamic School of Cambridge is closed today due to the weather.
