This area was paralyzed by another major winter storm for much of last weekend, with continued harsh weather also making the early part of the week an adventure for travellers.
Strong winds and snow squalls began in the afternoon on Jan. 24. As is often the case, Highway 6 between Fergus and Arthur was among the first roads in the area to be closed. The road was shut down by early afternoon and remained closed until Sunday.
By early evening on Jan. 24 Wellington County OPP had closed all roads in the county north of Wellington Road 17 due to blowing snow and poor visibility. Police did not re-open roads until late Saturday afternoon.
At the height of the storm in the early morning hours on Jan. 25, all roads in Wellington, Huron and Bruce counties were closed, with major highways and many county roads through Perth, Grey and Dufferin counties also shut down.
After a brief respite through Sunday, winds and snowfall picked up again overnight and by Monday morning, travelling was again difficult, although most Wellington County roads remained open throughout the day and the storm tapered off into the evening.
Throughout the storm, local OPP officers across the province were busy responding to calls.
Province-wide, between Friday evening and Sunday morning, OPP officers responded to over 1,600 crashes, including three fatal accidents and numerous personal injury collisions. During the course of these investigations eight OPP cruisers were struck by passing motorists, resulting in minor injuries to two police officers.
During the storm, police ordered more than 60 road and highway closures across Ontario and helped over 400 stranded motorists seek shelter from the storm.
In response to the conditions, the OPP were reminding motorists to watch for emergency responders and to move to the side when safe to do so.
Police also reminded drivers that driving defensively, reducing speed and adjusting following distance will assist in reaching destinations safely.
“Always exercise caution when driving and consider postponing travel until weather conditions improve,” police urged.
