

Brantford and Brant County residents had to endure a brusque torrent of freezing rain and ice pellets driven by merciless winds on Saturday and Sunday that caused organizers to cancel events and close parks and trails as the storm howled on.

Residents were warned for days that the temperature would begin to drop Saturday morning to 0C with heavy clouds bringing rain that by afternoon would turn to freezing rain and pellets.

Seeing what was coming, Wilfrid Laurier issued a statement early Saturday morning declaring that due to “severe weather” it had to close its Brantford and Waterloo campuses, cancel classes and reschedule final examinations set for that day.

The exams are rescheduled for April 22 at the times and locations originally designated.

The Grand River Conservation Authority also issued an advisory that it ordered the closure of all parks, natural areas and trails under its control in the watershed, due accumulations of ice on trees and branches from a deluge of freezing rain.

“The weather system affecting much of the Grand River watershed this weekend is taking a toll on trees in parks, natural areas and trails maintained by the Grand River Conservation Authority,” Cam Linwood, communications co-ordinator, said in a news release Saturday afternoon.

“Ice accumulating on trees and branches is increasing the risk that they may fall down under the added weight. As a result of this risk, these properties are closed until further notice.”

It may take several days for staff to assess any damage and clear away fallen limbs and damaged trees that may have come down during the weather event, he said.

“The public is encouraged to use caution and stay away from trees and wooded areas at this time.”

Some motorists ran into trouble starting around 1 p.m. as the temperature plunged below 0C and streets became icy. Brantford police and firefighters had to respond to three accidents in a short space of time – 1:26 p.m., 1:38 p.m and 1:51 p.m.

“They came just as the storm started,” said Brantford fire platoon chief Herb VanDerMade. “Things can happen that quickly.”

There was another collision on the westbound ramp of the Highway 403/Garden Avenue interchange.

But VanDerMade said activity was light for the rest of the day and into Sunday.

“People were warned that this storm was coming,” he said. “They’ve hunkered down and not gone on the roads too much.”

Brantford police closed Harmony Square and Colborne Street at Queen late Saturday afternoon after a large section of the roof of an apartment building on the east side of the square was damaged by high winds in the storm.

City firefighters also responded.

“One of our aerial trucks went to take a look at the situation,” said VanDerMade.

“They weren’t able to do anything. It was not possible to navigate the aerial device close to where the damage was.”

Firefighters and police ensured everyone was safe and cordoned off the area.

Peter Kimbell, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said some communities in southwestern Ontario could get up to 40 millimetres of freezing rain — more than the 30 millimetres that hit Toronto in 2013, which left parts of Ontario without power for days.

“It’s a lot of freezing rain, no question about it,” said Kimbell. “It certainly has the potential to cause a significant impact for sure.”

The freezing rain and ice pellets continued into Sunday as Environment Canada reported that temperatures began to warm at the Brantford Municipal Airport. They were expected to rise to 6C in the evening and overnight with continued rain, at times heavy.

About 10 millimetres of rainfall were expected during the day with northeast winds of up to 40 kilometres per hour.

Heavy rain was expected in the evening, with the risk of a thunderstorm early in the evening. Another 10 to 20 millimetres of rain were forecast to fall, with northeast winds gusting to 70 kilometres per hour before morning.

Expect more of the same Monday. The forecast calls for a temperature of 6C with a 40 per cent chance of showers, during the morning. Periods of rain are expected, ending before noon, then mainly cloudy with a 40 per cent chance of showers.

Environment Canada’s forecast for Tuesday calls for cloudy periods with a 30 per cent chance of flurries or rain showers, a high of 1C and a low of -4C.

MMarion@postmedia.com

@expMarion