Schools closed, snow events declared in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County

Schools were closed and snow events were declared in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge as a winter storm walloped the community on Monday.

The weather station at the University of Waterloo tweeted that as of 8 a.m. 22.5 cm of snow had fallen in the area since snow had started falling in the early morning hours.

Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County were under a snowfall warning by Environment Canada on Monday. There was also a winter travel advisory for northern Wellington County.

"Persons in or near this area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take necessary safety precautions," the weather agency said on its website.

The forecast called for a high of –3 C on Monday with up to 10 cm of snow possible during the day. More flurries were expected Monday evening along with blowing snow. Monday's overnight low was expected to be –11 C with the wind chill near –19 C.

The Waterloo Region District School Board and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board indicated it would be a "weather impacted remote learning day" as all student transportation was cancelled and schools and daycares were closed.

The Upper Grand District School Board indicated staff should not report to work in person and should shift to remote working where possible.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service told drivers to take extra precautions Monday morning, which included that people should "clear all snow from your vehicle, increase your following distance, and allow yourself extra time to get to your destination."

Snow events were declared in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolwich Township. It means people must move vehicles off streets to allow for a full plow-out.

The cities noted residents were prohibited from parking their cars on city streets for 24 hours, running until just after midnight on Tuesday morning.

In some cases, by-law enforcement could issue a ticket and tow the vehicle at the owner's expense.

In Waterloo, the city said "staff are monitoring weather and sidewalk/trail conditions and will deploy crews as needed. When possible, we ask residents to please minimize their use of the trails and sidewalks to allow staff time to complete their snow clearing operations and to please use city maintained sidewalks and trails with caution as surface conditions can change quickly from bare to snow/ice covered."

Woolwich Township reminded people not to shovel snow from their driveways onto the street.

There were a number of closures. Along with elementary and high schools, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Guelph and Conestoga College announced they would be closed Monday.