Public, Catholic schools in Waterloo region closed Thursday as snowstorm wallops southern Ontario

All Catholic and public schools in Waterloo region are set to be closed on Thursday, school boards announced after a winter storm began walloping southern Ontario on Wednesday evening.

In separate releases, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) said the closures affect all classes, as well as school buses, taxis and special education routes.

"Extended day programs, child-care centres located in our schools, and our Education Centre will be closed," said the release from WRDSB.

"All St. Louis Adult Learning and Continuing Education Centres programs and services will be cancelled, and St. Louis sites will be closed," said the release by WCDSB, adding all extended day child-care programs won't be open.

The storm was expected to bring 15 to 25 centimetres of snow to Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County, prompting snowplow crews to prepare for what could be a long night Wednesday.

The Region of Waterloo declared a significant weather event starting at 3 p.m. ET and asked people to be cautious when travelling.

"Road users should expect delays, slippery conditions and poor visibility. If driving, slow down and follow at a safe distance. Road users should also keep a safe distance from snow clearing equipment and crews to let them complete their work safely and efficiently," the region said in a release.

"The Region of Waterloo is always ready for winter weather, and the region, cities and townships, work together to ensure winter maintenance is timely and efficient."

David Pressey, manager of transportation operations for the Region of Waterloo, said it's been a busy winter for their crews.

Pressey said workers will keep their eyes on a special weather service they use that provides reports for the northern, central and southern parts of the region.

"These reports will show us the air temperature, the wind speed, precipitation expectations, the type of precipitation, the anticipated road conditions, the dew points, the relative humidity, all the key factors that our team try to put in the toolbox to make our best guess on our educated guess, I guess on where and when we deploy resources," he said.

"We actually have access to a meteorologist that we can call on duty to ask any clarifications or ask any further details on the weather report that we see if we don't quite understand what we're looking at."

He said all of that gives them an accurate picture of what to expect.

"The region's quite a large area. There are days where the north end at Heidelberg is winds blowing, roads are drifting and then down to the south end in Ayr, it could be sunshine," he said.

Kitchener GO trains affected

Go trains on the Kitchener line will also be limited on Thursday, said a release from Metrolinx on Wednesday evening.

"With significant snow expected overnight [Wednesday], we will run on a special schedule [Thursday] to ensure we can maintain reliable service while keeping our trains clear of snow and ice buildup. This means that some GO Train trips will be cancelled or modified," the release said.

Express trains on the Kitchener Line won't be operating and many trips on the line will be modified throughout the day.

"Most off-peak service operating west of Mount Pleasant will be suspended, as will most trips starting and ending at Bramalea GO. There will be fewer trips serving Kitchener GO throughout the day," the release continued.

Commuters are encouraged to visit GOtransit.com for more information.

Travel expected to be 'difficult'

The storm is due to a low-pressure system moving into the area, although it's uncertain what path it will take.

Trudy Kidd, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Wednesday that people heading home could be driving through snow "that could be heavy at times. Definitely check the forecast for today and make sure that you can get home before it starts."

"If you have to drive during the snowfall, then make sure you plan lots of time. Take your time, don't be in a hurry. We're expecting a lot of snow and visibility to be reduced because the snow is going to be heavy. We could be looking at up to five centimetres in an hour at the worst."

Parking bans in place

Along with the Region of Waterloo declaring a significant weather event Wednesday, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Woolwich Township, North Dumfries Township and Wilmot Township declared snow events.

Parking bans were put in place, starting at different times depending on where you live:

• In Waterloo, the parking ban begins at 11:59 p.m.
• In Kitchener, the parking ban begins at 9 p.m.
• In Cambridge, the parking ban begins at 7 p.m.
• In Woolwich, the parking ban begins at 11:59 p.m.
• In North Dumfries, the parking ban begins at 3 p.m.
• In Wilmot, the parking ban begins at 11:59 p.m.

Any vehicles parked on the street could be ticketed or towed and residents should expect the snow events to remain in effect for 24 hours.

"The declaration is to notify the public that due to the current or forecasted conditions, caution is to be observed when travelling on Township roads and that it may take longer than usual to bring the condition of the roads back to a state of repair," Woolwich Township said in a release.

The townships also reminded people that when shovelling driveways or sidewalks, they should not push snow into the roads.

The City of Waterloo has also cancelled all recreational programs for Thursday morning, starting at 5 a.m. until 9 a.m. The buildings will remain open as warming centres however. 

In Guelph, the city announced recreation facilities would be open Wednesday night, but it would keep them closed Thursday morning until noon. 

"If you are currently registered to attend a City of Guelph, Recreation Services program during this time, unfortunately, this program has been cancelled due to the facility closure. If you made a payment, a refund has been credited to your account," the city said in a notice to users.

Several area universities and colleges closed their campuses and cancelled classes Wednesday evening. 

People urged to stay home, watch for snowplows

Pressey said his top advice for people is to stay home if possible and avoid travelling on the roads.

For people who do need to drive somewhere, he said, they should take care when near snowplows.

"When you see a snowplow coming down the road, obviously these are large machines and the operator has a million things to pay attention to," he said.

"Please be aware of the machine, be aware of its size, be aware of the space that it needs to operate and do not pass snowplows. That is another risk that our operators do not need to be concerned about while they're trying to clear the roads."