Friday commuters are set to face windy and icy conditions before the holiday getaway.
A special weather statement was issued for Waterloo Region and surrounding areas, calling for heavy rain to transition to snow and freeze over.
Strong wind gusts would contribute to those icy conditions, wind gusts as strong as 80 km/hr.
“A strong cold front will move through the area this morning. Winds will strengthen, and temperatures will rapidly fall below the freezing mark in behind the front,” read the advisory, which also warned of difficult travel and power outages.
570 NewsRadio Weather Specialist Denise Andreacchi said temperatures would drop quickly, and by Friday afternoon, it could feel closer to -10C with the wind chill.
The latest traffic and weather updates can be heard here.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) also warned of hazardous travel conditions, especially through a recently dangerous stretch of Hwy. 401 between Kitchener and Woodstock.
“The drive could be a challenging one. When you see ice, think twice,” said OPP Sergeant Sanchuk.
“Please make sure you reduce your speed, drive according to the road and weather conditions, make sure you clear off your entire vehicle of all ice (especially on your windshield, all windows), if you can’t see it, how can you avoid it, give enough time between you and other vehicles.”
The icy conditions led to school bus cancellations in areas of Wellington County, but not Guelph. There were no school bus cancellations in Waterloo Region.
Good news: It is set to improve heading into the last weekend before Christmas.
“Overall conditions aren’t too bad if you have any travel this weekend or last-minute errands to run,” said Andreacchi.
She noted some “pops of precipitation” are possible, which could help ensure that white Christmas.
