Snow tapers off, but frigid cold, ice sticking around
Posted Jan 15, 2026 04:14:41 AM.
Last Updated Jan 21, 2026 04:19:46 AM.
The powerful winter storm that blasted Waterloo Region on Thursday has tapered off.
The coldest air of the season rolled in Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Environment Canada dropped an orange-level snowfall warning for the region by Thursday afternoon as the snow started decreasing. It is expected that more than 25 centimetres of snow fell.
Temperatures are hovering around -12 but feeling like -22 with the wind.
“A developing low-pressure system will bring significant snowfall to much of southern Ontario. A sharp temperature drop leading to cold wind chills by Thursday morning, during ongoing snowfall, may add to the adverse weather conditions,” the weather agency previously said.
Around 4 centimetres of snow fell in parts of Kitchener by 11:30 p.m. Wednesday according to local weather experts.
LAUNCH OUR EXTREME WEATHER CENTRE FOR FULL COVERAGE!By 10 a.m. Thursday, the E.D. Soulis Weather Station at the University of Waterloo reported 26 cm of snow.
The snow, combined with the sudden drop in temperatures, made for tricky driving conditions for both Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commuters.
Waterloo Regional Police Service said that in 24 hours, they responded to 105 crashes on area roadways. Many streets are snow-covered despite the precipitation tapering off earlier Thursday afternoon.
Some callers to the 570 NewsRadio newsroom described dangerous road conditions with black ice, and numerous vehicles sliding into medians and even onto sidewalks during the morning commute.
Grand River Transit declared a severe weather event on Thursday, meaning a number of routes, including ION service was either detoured or not running.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) issued a warning to drivers ahead of the storm: to be prepared and avoid travel if possible.
The treacherous road conditions led to a full school closure for both Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Waterloo Region District School Board students on Thursday. Local post-secondary schools are also closed.
The latest traffic and weather updates, including cancellation and closure information, can be heard on 570 NewsRadio.
