Snow, wind slow Ottawa commute

Commuters around Ottawa faced a slow commute Tuesday morning after a mix of snow and high winds created dangerous driving conditions in some areas.

Simon Ibrahim said his commute to Ottawa from Aylmer usually takes about 45 minutes.

"This morning I've been on the road for 50 minutes and I figure I still have a good half hour before I make it to the bridge," he said.

Lynn Kennedy said she saw a two-vehicle accident on Highway 416 on her way to work.

"The traffic was delayed as folks jockeyed around the vehicles involved," Kennedy said.

"Ottawa has seen about 24 hours of light snow with blowing winds," CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe said, noting that parts of the city have picked up seven centimetres just this morning.  

"The light snow will continue today for most of eastern Ontario, tapering to flurries by tomorrow morning," she said.   

Wagstaffe said Ottawa can expect another five to 10 centimetres throughout the day Tuesday with gusty winds continuing to cause drifting snow on the roads.  

"Even though the snow will ease tomorrow, the winds will continue to make it feel like –20 C all week long," she said.  

Meanwhile, an accident closed the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 near Morrisburg all morning, Ontario Provincial Police said, after two tractor-trailers collided west of Upper Canada Road. 

Nobody was injured, but police were on the scene. There was no word on whether the crash was weather-related. The road reopened around 1:30 p.m.

The weather is even worse in southwestern Ontario, where a storm has left hundreds of motorists stranded on Highway 402 near Sarnia.