Environment Canada lifts snowfall warning that had covered a large part of central B.C.
A winter storm has dumped heavy snow over parts of central and northern British Columbia, and freezing rain is in the forecast as temperatures start to rise.
A warning from Environment Canada says additional accumulation of 25 to 40 centimetres is expected over inland areas of the north coast, including Stewart.
The weather office says flurries are expected to shift to a mix of snow and rain later Monday, and there will be a risk of freezing rain during the transition.
Environment Canada has also updated its winter storm warning for the Kitimat and Terrace areas, which had been forecast to receive up to 50 centimetres of snow.
The latest bulletin says the area will see freezing rain easing later Sunday.
The weather office has lifted a snowfall warning that had covered a large part of central B.C., including the Stewart-Nechako, Prince George and Quesnel areas, where accumulation of up to 15 centimetres of snow was expected on Sunday.
Meanwhile, intense snow squalls battering Ontario moved south after burying some parts of the province under more than a metre of snow, stranding vehicles and prompting one town to declare a state of emergency.
Gravenhurst, a town in Ontario’s Muskoka region hit with around 140 centimetres of snowfall, declared a state of emergency early Sunday, citing a highway closure and limited emergency services.
Premier Doug Ford said the provincial government was working closely with local authorities to help them respond to the storm. Ford said he was relieved no injuries or deaths have been reported.
“As cleanup crews continue their work, the best thing people in the area can do is stay home and stay safe until power is restored and roads and highways have been safely opened again,” he said in a statement posted to social media.
Snowmobile-riding first responders took to otherwise impassable roads to help rescue people from stranded vehicles around Muskoka, police said. It was unclear how many people were still stranded as of Sunday, though a police spokesperson suggested some had been stuck overnight.
Ontario Provincial Police extended a closure of Highway 11 on Sunday to encompass a nearly 100-kilometre stretch between Orillia and Huntsville after people got trapped the previous day.
