Slick roads, downed trees, power outages after ice storm slams the GHA

The most recent winter storm has wreaked havoc on neighbourhoods in the Golden Horseshoe Area.

Roughly 17,000 homes in Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Dundas, and St. Catharines have been left without power after a massive ice storm rolled through the region.

A mix of freezing rain, ice pellets, high winds, and snow battered communities on Sunday. The heavy weight of ice on tree limbs sent branches and power lines tumbling to the ground.

Alectra says crews are still working in the current weather conditions and hope power will be restored in most areas by noon.

Update to the 17,000 homes and businesses in the area of #HamOnt, #StoneyCreek, #Waterdown, #Dundas and #StCath currently without power. The crews are still working in the current weather conditions with ETR for most areas of 12:00 pm. The Outage map is down at the moment. ^pa

— Alectra (@alectranews) December 2, 2019

Environment Canada says more snow is expected throughout the morning and may lead to a slippery commute. The light snow and flurries should taper off by noon.

The storm played a role in several collisions on Sunday. One person died following a pileup involving between 30 and 40 passenger vehicles and big-rig trucks in Kingston, Ont.

Fifteen to 20 people involved in the crash were taken to hospital to be treated for injuries.

Another crash killed a 24-year-old St. Catharines woman in the Niagara region when her Jeep collided with a truck.

Police services in Southern Ontario are advising drivers to slow down and drive according to the current weather conditions.

Motorists are also being reminded to clear off all windows of snow and ice to help prevent collisions.

Honestly, probably the number one thing you can do if you are out on the roadways. #OPP #Hwy401 #511Ontario. ^ac pic.twitter.com/Y4mXrcXULE

— OPP West (@OPP_WR) December 2, 2019