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Northern Ontario

Road closures across northeastern Ontario due to weather, flooding

Published: 

Rick Wyman has the latest forecast for what is expected to be a wintry weekend in northeastern Ontario.

As the messy, wintery weather continues, several roads across northeastern Ontario are closed.

Highway closures

Highway 11 in Gravenhurst has been closed at Bethune Drive since Saturday morning due to flooding.

Highway 129 is closed between Thessalon and Chapleau.

North of Sault Ste. Marie, Highway 17 is closed between Batchawana Bay and Wawa.

In Timmins, Highway 101 is closed from Highway 144 to Wawa.

The Hwy. 101 closure expanded to the Ontario/Quebec border, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) said on social media Monday morning.

Highway 144 is closed between Timmins and Highway 560 in Gogama shortly after 5 a.m. Monday.

Highway 11 is closed between Highway 66 in Kenogami to Clear Lake Road in Kapuskasing.

Highway 556 is closed between Highway 129 in Ranger Lake and Highway 532 in Searchmont, the MTO said Monday morning.

Freezing rain, winter storm warning

Weather alerts continue Sunday throughout northeastern Ontario and include freezing rain and winter storm warnings until Monday morning.

The freezing rain warning extends from Sault Ste. Marie east to North Bay and Mattawa.

“Freezing rain may change over to rain late this afternoon or evening for locations near the North Channel and the city of North Bay as temperatures briefly rise above the freezing mark,” Environment Canada’s weather alert said Sunday morning.

“Precipitation will transition to ice pellets and then snow from west to east Monday morning. Easterly winds will become northerly on Monday morning with gusts up to 50 km/h. This may exacerbate the situation if there is ice build-up on tree limbs and power lines.”

Further north, in Timmins east to Temiskaming Shores, snowfall between 20 and 30 cm is expected.

“Snow may mix with or transition to ice pellets this afternoon through tonight, particularly for locations along and south of a line from Gogama to Kirkland Lake. A risk of freezing rain will also exist in these areas,” the weather alert said Sunday afternoon.

“For locations that receive ice pellets and freezing rain, snowfall amounts will be reduced. A sharp gradient in snowfall amounts may exist to the north and south of the axis of heaviest snow. All precipitation will transition to snow from west to east late tonight into Monday morning.”