Police were urging drivers to slow down and take extra precaution Saturday as blowing snow and slick roads caused problems in the region.
No major injuries were reported, but several local police forces — from the Sûreté du Québec to the Ontario Provincial Police to the Ottawa police east-end detachment — said officers were busy responding to calls.
On the Quebec side, there were reports of at least 10 minor collisions. A stretch of westbound highway 50, between kilometre mark 138 and 143, was particularly troublesome, said Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Mélanie Dumaresq.
“People who take this highway have to be careful because the ice on the road and the snow is very difficult,” she said.
Meanwhile, the OPP said it was dealing with at least half a dozen crashes on highways 416 and 417 in the Ottawa region.
Gatineau and Ottawa police, as well as Ottawa fire and paramedics, were also busy responding to calls.
OC Transpo also reported problems with the weather, saying some routes were experiencing delays of up to 15 minutes on several routes.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Saturday advising that snow with colder air would return Saturday night and Sunday.
The agency said “an Alberta clipper” was expected to bring 10-15 cm of snow in some locales.
“Poor winter driving conditions from accumulating snow on untreated roads, and low visibility in local blowing snow are expected.”
The western cold front is expected to bring very cold Arctic air Saturday night with temperatures dropping to about -19 C overnight, and perhaps lower on Sunday and Sunday night.
“As a result, windchills will drop to near -30 by Sunday morning,” the agency warned.
“Extreme cold warnings are in effect for all areas to the west and southwest of the region, and may be extended to include the national capital area to Cornwall by Sunday as needed.”
Monday, Family Day, is expected to be sunny with a high of -13 C forecast.
