Winter storm hits London and Middlesex as intense snow blankets region

A winter storm warning has been lifted for London and Middlesex County as residents continue to dig themselves out from the region's second major snowfall in less than a week.

Warnings that were in place for parts of Huron and Perth counties were also dropped early Sunday afternoon, but remained in place for parts of Elgin and Oxford counties and much of southern Ontario.

Before it was dropped, the warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada had called for additional snowfall amounts of between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow in London.

Snowfall is expected to continue through the afternoon and into the evening, with a risk of snow squalls overnight.

The intense snowfall and blowing snow led to poor driving conditions on area roadways. Motorists were asked to postpone travel until conditions eased.

"If you don't need to travel, please stay off the roadways," OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a video posted to X Sunday morning.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing people not slowing down and driving according to the road and weather conditions. We're seeing people not turning on their entire headlight system and just driving like it's a nice, hot summer day," he said. 

Sanchuk also urged highway motorists to refrain from passing snowplows, something he said he witnessed.

"I can tell you right now, if you become entangled in those large machines, serious injury or death is going to result."

The snowfall led to cancellations and delays on Sunday at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. By late afternoon, at least 260 flights at the airport had been cancelled, and 397 flights had been delayed, according to FlightAware.

Four morning and two afternoon flights between London and Toronto were among those cancelled, according to Air Canada's website.

Frigid temperatures expected overnight Sunday

Roughly 13 centimetres of snow fell on the city between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, said Weiqing Zhang, a severe weather meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"Snow squalls will start this evening ... Flurries from off the lake could last a few hours from 6 p.m. to late evening. That could probably bring another local five to 10, but that's probably more north of London," Zhang said. 

Temperatures overnight will dip to a low of -11 C, but will feel more like -22 C overnight.

The extreme cold prompted the Middlesex-London Health Unit to issue a cold weather alert for Sunday night into Monday morning.

The city says it has activated an overnight emergency warming centre at Boyle Memorial Community Centre as a result, whose hours will be extended from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. A list of warming centres can be found on the city's website.

"While temperatures are anticipated to warm up slightly Monday, cold weather is still forecasted, and conditions may still meet the cold weather alert threshold," the health unit said in a media advisory.

"This wave of cold weather is expected to remain in our region until Tuesday evening," the advisory said.

Monday's forecast calls for cloudy skies and a 40 per cent chance of flurries with a high of -9 C but will feel closer to -22 C. Sun and cloud is expected on Tuesday with a high of -9 C.