Winter storm chaos starts to ease

A freezing rain warninghasbeen liftedfor Thunder Bayand area, but Environment Canada says the city could receive five to 10 cm of snow and ice pellets. As of late Tuesday afternoon, winter storm andsnowfall warnings werestill in effect in someareaseast and west of the city.

The town of Sioux Lookout was digging out from more than 50 cm ofsnow. Environment Canada reportedthat is an all-time single day record for that community. The municipality's communication manager, Brian MacKinnon, said crewsworked though the night to keep main streets passable.

In Thunder Bay, traffic sergeant Glenn Porter saidcity crews were doing an effective job dealing with ice on the roads.

"They're definitely icy, but the road salt is working. I'm noticing that the intersections are starting to get a little bit better," he said.

Thunder Bay roads division manager Brad Adams said city crews hadbeen clearingstreets since 2 a.m., plowing and adding sand or salt.

Crews have been re-plowing the main streets. About 14 road sanders weredeployed Tuesday morning, along with 13 sidewalk plows with sanders.

Porter added people need to allow for extra time for tasks they normally don't have to do,just to get out of the driveway in their vehicles.

"People gotta remember that they have to give themselves a little bit extra time to clean those windows off. When I came out to my car this morning it was really an ice turtle."

Porter saidit took him about 10minutes to clear the thick coating of ice off his car windows.

Buses cancelled, schools closed

Environment Canada warnedtravellers to change their plans as a mix of snow, rain and freezing rain madefor slippery conditions.

Many streets in Thunder Bay werecovered in slush on Tuesday.

The OPP and the Ministry of Transportation reported multiple highway closures across northwestern Ontario that lasted well into Tuesday. By late afternoon, most of those highways had re-opened.

Rural schools in the Lakehead public board jurisdiction were closed, and all rural school bus routes in Thunder Bay were also shut down.

Thunder Bay Christian School wasclosed.

For students in the Keewatin-Patricia School Boardand the KenoraCatholic board, it was declared an official snow day.

Municipal daycare centres in Sioux Lookout were alsoclosed.

Buses were also cancelledfor Superior-Greenstone district school board students in Nipigon, Red Rock, Dorion, Hurkett and Lake Helen. The schools remained open, however.

All Northwestern Health Unit offices wereclosed. According to a news release issued Tuesday morning, patients who had an appointment scheduled on Tuesday will be contacted on Wednesday.