Winter storm brings weather warnings and delayed return to classrooms

WELLINGTON COUNTY - A winter storm warning, issued by Environment Canada at 11:35am on Monday and affecting Wellington County and Guelph, ended as of 4:11pm Jan. 17.

Students were supposed to return to in-class learning on Monday, but Mother Nature had other plans, leading local school boards to close schools, deferring the return to classrooms to Jan. 18

Snowfall amounts ranging between 25 and 40cm were expected throughout the day on Monday, accompanied by 60km/h northerly to northwesterly wind gusts.

According to Environment Canada, a low pressure system brought the significant snowfall, the heaviest of which occurred overnight.

Shannon Brown, a University of Guelph postdoctoral research associate, told the Advertiser 14cm of accumulated snow was measured at an Environment Canada weather station located at the Elora Research Station between 1am and 1pm on Jan. 17.

The Town of Erin declared a significant weather event on Jan. 17.

Town officials said the declaration “is not a notice of a reduced level of service or a road closure,” but serves instead to “notify the public that ... caution is to be observed when traveling on [town] roads and using sidewalks.”