It is going to be an incredibly windy, and for some parts snowy, start to the week in midwestern Ontario.
Environment Canada has a wind warning in place for Bruce and north Grey counties and a special weather statement in effect for Huron, Perth and south Grey counties.
Winds will gust between 80 to 90 kilometres an hour, depending on where you are on Monday.
The strong winds could snap tree limbs, toss loose objects, and potentially cause power outages, the national weather agency warned. Drifting snow could also be an issue on the roads.
Highway 21 between Amberley and Tiverton is closed due to high winds, blowing snow, and heavy drifting, OPP advised. Grey Road 7 from Grey Road 13 to Grey Road 40 and Highway 6 between Red Bay Road and Bruce Road 13 north of Wiarton is also closed due to poor weather conditions. Police are urging people who decide to travel to keep their vehicle's headlights and taillights on and not to drive on roads that are closed.
The poor weather conditions also led to bus cancellations and school closures across midwestern Ontario, particularly in Grey-Bruce where the Bluewater District School Board closed Kincardine Township-Tiverton Public, Elgin Market Public, Huron Heights Elementary, Kincardine District Senior, Ripley-Huron Community, Arran-Tara Elementary, Paisley Central, and St. Edmunds Public School in Tobermory for the day. The full list of cancellations and closures can be found on the CKNX closures page.
A snow squall warning has also been issued Monday for Bruce and Grey counties, where 10 to 20 centimetres could fall.
"Strong wind gusts in combination with heavy flurries will result in significantly reduced visibility," Environment Canada said. "Conditions may be particularly dangerous as a sharp cold front moves through this evening which could produce near zero visibility in bursts of heavy snow and blowing snow along with a sharp temperature drop."
Bruce County, Grey County, and the Township of Georgian Bluffs and Huron-Kinloss have declared a significant weather event. The declaration is meant to notify the public that due to the current or forecasted conditions, driver should use extra caution on the roads and that it may take longer than usual to bring the condition of the roads back to a state of repair.
The winds will gradually die down Monday night. The lake effect snow is expected to weaken by early Tuesday afternoon.