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If you don’t need to be out on the roads, stay home.
That is the message on Friday from Ontario Provincial Police, as a winter storm system brought heavy snow and whiteout conditions to roadways in the London area.
Areas north of the city were hit particularly hard as of the early evening, with closures reported on several secondary highways and county roads.
As of 6:30 p.m., police said Hwy. 23 was closed from Hwy. 7, or Elginfield Road to Whalen Line, while north of Exeter, Hwy. 4 was closed up to Clinton.
Motorists were also being asked to avoid Hwy. 8 because of a weather-related closure that stretched from Mitchell to Stratford, and Hwy. 21 along Lake Huron from Goderich to Amberley.
Heavy snowfall is seen from an MTO traffic camera along Hwy. 7 north of London near Wellburn Road, just outside of St. Marys, Ont., on Dec. 19, 2025. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
“Long story short, if you can stay off the roads, it might be a great idea. Obviously, there’s a risk of flash freezing (with) the rapidly changing temperatures,” said Sgt. Ed Sanchuk of West Region OPP. “The roadways that are slick and wet, may freeze over.”
Yellow snow squall warnings were in place from Environment Canada as of 6:30 p.m., covering Huron, Middlesex, Oxford and Perth counties, and areas further north.
Snowfall was expected to continue through the evening before weakening, and local amounts of between five and 15 centimetres were expected.
“Reduced visibility in heavy snow and blowing snow will be the primary hazard as opposed to snowfall accumulations,” the advisory said.
Blowing snow is seen on an MTO traffic camera crossing Hwy. 4 between Fifteen Mile Road and Sixteen Mile Road, just north of London, on Dec. 19, 2025. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation was reporting snow covered or partly snow and ice covered roads north of London, along with poor visibility as of 6:30 p.m.
“If you have to head out, please make sure that you reduce your speed, take your foot off that gas pedal, leave enough time, room and distance between you and other vehicles, have your entire head lighting system turned on, and just pack an ample supply of patience,” Sanchuk said.
Emergency crews were also tending to several weather-related collisions, including a five-vehicle crash on Hwy. 23, north of Hwy. 7. Injuries were unknown but not believed to be serious, police said in a post on X around 1:45 p.m.
A single-vehicle rollover crash south of Exeter around 1:30 p.m. led to a portion of Hwy. 4 being shut down from Kirkton Road to the town’s southern edge. It remained closed as of 6:30 p.m., according to the MTO.