Whiteout conditions near Barrie have caused dozens of accidents, forcing Ontario Provincial Police to issue a warning that motorists stay off area roadways.
All southbound lanes of Highway 400 were closed Wednesday afternoon after a multi-vehicle crash occurred in the blizzard-like weather system.
Sanders and plows responded to the 2 p.m. accident and had the highway reopened by about 3 p.m.
Between five and 10 centimetres of snow was falling every hour during the squalls.
Some schools sent children home early and some school bus service was cancelled.
As much as 15 centimetres of snow was expected to fall in the Barrie, Orillia, Midland and Mukoka regions into Thursday.
The area has received as much as 90 centimetres of the white stuff since Saturday.
"This is my second time snowblowing the drive," said one exhausted woman.
Owen Sound has also been blanketed with plenty of snow over the past week.
"I have to shovel for hours every day -- it's my favourite pastime," said one upbeat man.
Toronto escaped the whiteout conditions on Wednesday, but entered its fifth straight day of frigid temperatures.
The weather is predicted to finally warm up on Thursday, with the forecast calling for a high of -5C.
However, temperatures are still below the seasonal average.
With a report from CTV's Tom Hayes
