BAND OF SNOW SWEEPING ACROSS SOUTH MUSKOKA BRINGS MORE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AND CHAOS

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA — A band of snow on the run sweeping across south Muskoka today appears set to break this afternoon following a furious flurry this morning.

A hint of sun after mid-day Tuesday offers hope that the worst is over in the most recent winter punch.

The latest Georgian Bay lake effect that began around midnight today continued with at least 20-30 cms falling for more than a about a dozen hours.

Approaching noon it was falling so fast visibility was short-sighted.

A band of wind whipping from the west brought back a Georgian Bay lake effect that surprised few, but still caused concern on and off the roads centred on south Muskoka. Image Environment Canada

Yet traffic continued on difficult, but somehow passable roads for many who dared to venture out.

A collision on Highway 11 southbound at the north exit 175 ramp to Bethune Drive and Doe Lake Road, in Gravenhurst, closed the right lane and right shoulder.

And transports once again got stuck on municipal roads in town including at least one that had to be towed up the hill on Bay Street from Lake Muskoka.

Plows were again busy along with tow trucks, here pulling a rig up Bay Street in Gravenhurst from Lake Muskoka as other transports were backed up awaiting their run at the hill. Photos Mark Clairmont

Plows have since gotten out — including a sidewalk snow blower in Gravenhurst, which once more took the brunt of the white.

Bala, Port Carling and Muskoka Lakes were also in the path of the storm coming in from the west.

Bracebridge also got hit a fair bit also.

Huntsville and north Muskoka mostly survived the worst of it.

Environment Canada says the storm is tailing off and moving south and should be mostly have passed through in to this evening.

They issued a “snow quall ended” bulletin at 4:12 p.m.

As the snowfall dwindles the temperature will dip to minus 13 by early tomorrow before warming up slightly by mid-day.

Though some more snow will fall again in 24 hours it says.

Nothing like the massive end of November and early December drop, which at 100 cms was more than twice that amount.

The white wallop makes this the worst winter in years in this part of Central Ontario.

As snow piled up on doorsteps transports struggled to navigate roads in Gravenhurst, Bala, Port Carling and Muskoka Lakes and beyond.
Hearty hikers were deterred opting to trek along roads that for the most part remained open in part to pedestrians like these happy halers headed to work.

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