Snow squall warning for Kingston area, travel advisories elsewhere

A snowy Wednesday is upon eastern Ontario and western Quebec, with the most severe weather expected around Kingston and Belleville.

The entire region has some kind of weather alert about the snow, led by a snow squall warning for those communities along Lake Ontario about sudden blasts of heavy, blowing snow.

The warning may bring 15 to 25 centimetres of snow in total, with three to six centimetres in an hour possible.

Snow had started at the CFB Trenton weather station by 4 a.m., according to hourly weather data, and hit central Ottawa around 8 a.m..

Ontario’s 511 service showed a snow-covered Highway 401 in the Belleville and Napanee areas around 6:15 a.m., with parts of highways 7, 15, 17 and 416 affected by 8:30 a.m.

Quebec’s 511 showed snow affecting parts of routes 50, 105, 148 and 309.

A snowy highway before sunrise.
A traffic camera where Highway 62 passes over Highway 401 in Belleville around 6:15 a.m. Dec. 4, 2024. Plows have since gone to work. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)

The rest of the Ottawa-Gatineau region has three different special weather statements about how snow will likely affect travel Wednesday.

A winter weather travel advisory for eastern Ontario except for Renfrew County forecasts close to 10 centimetres of snow Wednesday and early Thursday morning. A similar advisory for Renfrew County puts the likely snowfall at five to 10 centimetres.

Western Quebec’s weather advisory says the region could get 10 to 20 centimetres of snow by Thursday morning.

English school buses have been cancelled under Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario around Ottawa and the Tri-Board bus consortium in the Kingston area.

The French Consortium de transport scolaire d’Ottawa (CTSO) has cancelled buses in Almonte, Brockville, Carleton Place, Kemptville, Kingston, Merrickville and Trenton.

Other areas are reporting delays and rules around what schools do under cancellations vary, so check with your school or board for more information.

Given the poor visibility, people are advised to plan for the weather. That includes having a charged phone on hand and packing an emergency kit and informing others of your plans if you have to travel.

Drivers should turn on their headlights, clear all snow from their vehicles, drive more slowly and leave more stopping distance, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.

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