Icy roads prompt calls to 'slow down' as rural school buses cancelled

Drivers faced treacherous road conditions Friday morning as tempuratures started to drop below freezing following a night of rain.

School bus routes in counties outside of London were cancelled, on what would be the last day of classes before the holiday break. Police were also warning drivers to slow down, as crashes were being reported as the morning rush got underway.

To blame is a cold front moving into Southwestern Ontario means temperatures are falling rapidly, said Katrina Eyk, a senior meteorologist with Environment Canada. Thursday night's rain is changing to snow, and any pooling water on the roadways or sidewalks is freezing into ice.

"It's potentially going to be slippery this morning," said Eyk, "as the temperature falls toward zero. So just be cautious out there with the slippery conditions, and slow down."

Bus routes were called down in Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin Counties and the area south of the 401 between St. Thomas, according to mybigyellowbus.ca. They were also cancelled for French language schools in Oxford, Middlesex and Grey Bruce.

Routes inside the city of London ran as usual.

Friday's forecast also had winds gusting up to 80 kilometres per hour. About two to four centimetres of snow was expected to fall, with flurries going into the evening.

Another system is forecast for the weekend, said Eyk, but it appears to be staying north of the London area.