Snow squall warning for Kingston area, travel advisories elsewhere | CBC News

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

The entire region is under some kind of snow-related weather alert. Those communities along Lake Ontario are under a snow squall warning, with sudden blasts of heavy, blowing snow expected.

Kingston and Belleville could each see a total of 15 centimetres of snow with three to six centimetres falling per hour, according to an updated warning issued around 12:30 p.m. The previous warning predicted up to 25 centimetres of snow.

Snow started falling at the CFB Trenton weather station by 4 a.m., according to hourly weather data. It 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., other major highways being affected later. Road conditions have varied depending on snow, wind and plowing schedules.

Highway 50 was closed by a crash between Grenville-sur-la-Rouge and Brownsburg-Chatham around 10:20 a.m. for nearly four hours.

Snow advisories

The rest of the Ottawa-Gatineau region is under three different special weather statements that could 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 predicts five to 10 centimetres of snow.

Western Quebec’s weather advisory says the region could get 10 to 15 centimetres of snow by Thursday morning, slightly less than the previous ceiling of 20 centimetres.

Maniwaki’s Dec. 4 snowfall record of 13 centimetres in 1990 might be broken.

Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario cancelled buses serving English school boards around Ottawa, and the Tri-Board consortium cancelled buses in the Kingston area Wednesday morning.

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

Other regions warned of school bus delays.

Given the poor visibility, people are advised to plan for the weather. That includes having a charged phone on hand, 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.