Winter storm hits London and Middlesex as intense snow blankets region

A winter storm warning has been lifted for London and Middlesex County as residents continue to dig themselves out from the region's second major snowfall in less than a week.

Warnings that were in place for parts of Huron and Perth counties were also dropped early Sunday afternoon, but remained in place for parts of Elgin and Oxford counties and much of southern Ontario.

Before it was dropped, the warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada had called for additional snowfall amounts of between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow in London.

Snowfall is expected to continue through the afternoon and into the evening, with a risk of snow squalls overnight.

The intense snowfall and blowing snow led to poor driving conditions on area roadways. Motorists were asked to postpone travel until conditions eased.

"If you don't need to travel, please stay off the roadways," OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk said in a video posted to X Sunday morning.

"Unfortunately, we're seeing people not slowing down and driving according to the road and weather conditions. We're seeing people not turning on their entire headlight system and just driving like it's a nice, hot summer day," he said. 

Sanchuk also urged highway motorists to refrain from passing snowplows, something he said he witnessed.

"I can tell you right now, if you become entangled in those large machines, serious injury or death is going to result."

The snowfall led to cancellations and delays at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, with roughly 112 flights in and out of the city cancelled, and another 111 delayed, according to FlightAware.

Four flights between London and Toronto were among those cancelled, according to the London International Airport website.

Roughly 13 centimetres of snow fell on the city between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, said Weiqing Zhang, a severe weather meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"Snow squalls will start this evening ... Flurries from off the lake could last a few hours from 6 p.m. to late evening. That could probably bring another local five to 10, but that's probably more north of London," Zhang said. 

Temperatures overnight will dip to a low of -11 C, but will feel more like -22 C overnight.