Ontario town declares state of emergency as heavy snowfall knocks out power for parts of province

Intense snow squalls battering Ontario are moving south after burying some central and northern 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 centimetre of snowfall, has declared a state of emergency in response to a prolonged highway closure and limited emergency services.

Ontario Provincial Police said crews were working to get the remaining stranded vehicles off a stretch of snow-covered Highway 11 north of Orillia and into Gravenhurst.

Emergency crews helped to pull people from their cars on Saturday and bring them to the Gravenhurst Town Hall, which was powered by generators as widespread power outages hit the area, police said. 

Gravenhurst Mayor Heidi Lorenz said no injuries have been reported in the town. 

People are advised to stay home, she said. 

"You're not safe travelling the roads right now," she said. "The last thing we'd want to do is have to come and dig you out."

Premier Doug Ford echoed this message in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where he also said the province is working closely with the municipalities to help them deal with the storm's impact. 

Snow bringing down branches on lines: Hydro One

Hydro One, the provincial utility, said the number of customers without power soared to more than 60,000 as of Sunday morning.

After hammering areas further north, snow squalls off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay were forecasted to move into southwestern Ontario.

Heavy, wet snow is bringing branches down on power lines, Hydro One spokesperson Tiziana Baccega Rosa said.

She said road conditions and closures are a big challenge for workers as they make repairs.

"We've got all hands on deck," she said.

Rosa said people are advised to always be prepared for an extended power outage.