Several flights from the Ottawa International Airport have been cancelled or delayed on Sunday as snow and wind wreaked travel havoc and whiteout conditions across eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
As of 4 p.m., 25 departing flights had been cancelled, mostly to Toronto and the northeastern United States. Another 12 flights were delayed.
Nineteen incoming flights have been cancelled, and 19 others delayed. Wind gusts at the airport reached a high of 41 kilometres per hour around noon.
An overnight parking ban is in effect in the City of Ottawa between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. to facilitate snow removal.
Highway 401 was closed in both directions for 20 kilometres between Cornwall and South Lancaster, near the Quebec border, due to treacherous road conditions and zero visibility. The Ontario Provincial Police is asking drivers to also avoid the highway between Kingston and Trenton if necessary.
VIA Rail reported train service operating as normal along the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, but delays are expected as crews clear snow from the tracks.
A winter storm warming remains in effect for the region, with 15 to 20 centimetres of snow expected across eastern Ontario by Sunday night. Ottawa police are warning that heavy snow is sticking to the taillights of vehicles, making brake lights and turn signals even less visible.
Areas near Lake Ontario can expect strong winds of 60 kilometres per hour Sunday afternoon, potentially gusting up to 90 kilometres per hour.
Major accident on Hwy. 416 bridge
A 62-year-old man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a head-on collision on the Rideau River bridge at about 1:15 a.m. Highway 416 southbound was closed for several hours afterwards.
The man was listed in critical condition at the Ottawa Hospital. Another patient was taken to Kemptville hospital with minor injuries.
The OPP is still investigating the cause of the collision.
Southern Ontario digs out and prepares to dig in again
Meanwhile, after a blast of winter that dumped as much as 30 centimetres of snow on parts of southwestern Ontario, the region will get a short reprieve before another storm hits early Sunday morning.
Environment Canada has put much of the region under a snowfall warning, an upgrade from its earlier winter storm watch, as a new system could dump another five to 15 centimetres of the white stuff on the region.
Toronto can expect increasing cloudiness Saturday night with a 60 per cent chance of flurries. The snow will start to fall heavily in the morning but end by noon. There will also be winds of 30 kilometres per hour, with gusts up to 60 kilometres per hour. Some flurries could occur Sunday evening.
Canada's largest city is continuing its extreme cold alert, which makes it possible to open up more emergency shelter space for homeless people.
In far southwest Ontario, the amount of snow expected varies, with accumulations of between five and 15 centimetres predicted. However, the winds will be stronger than in the Toronto region. Areas such as Simcoe, Delhi and Dunnville could see gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Maggie Padlewska
