Polar vortex hits Prince Edward County hard: Road closures, 40 collisions reported

The polar vortex brought high winds and drifting snow to Prince Edward County on Wednesday, causing several collisions and closures in the area.

Due to the weather, the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board halted classes at 1 p.m. for all its schools.

Prince Edward County OPP say they responded to more than 50 calls for service within the 24-hour timeframe on Wednesday. Police originally said 22 of those calls were vehicle collisions.

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But according to a tweet sent out by OPP on Thursday, the number of collisions reached up to 40.

Later in the day, police said white-out conditions prompted local police to close all roads in the southern end of the county due to the poor visibility and road conditions

OPP say they were out on snowmobiles patrolling on secondary roads searching for stranded motorists.

Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell was following the blizzard as it blew over Prince Edward County on Wednesday.

Schools and roads were reopened on Thursday morning, and cleaning crews were out during the day to deal with the significant snowfall.