Snow squalls and whiteout conditions caused dozens of car accidents on Highway 400 Tuesday morning, forcing police to close the highway in two locations, according to the OPP highway safety division.

A spokesperson said there was a multi-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes at Barrie, closing the highway at Duckworth St. Three people were taken to hospital, none with life-threatening injuries.

By 1 p.m. OPP reopened the southbound lanes in Barrie. Southbound lanes at Innisfil Beach Rd. were reopened just after 3 p.m. after a tractor trailer jackknifed earlier in the day.

Environment Canada’s snow squall warning remains in effect for the Innisfil and Dufferin area as well as for Barrie, Orillia and Midland. A snow squall warning also remains in effect for Huron-Perth and London-Middlesex regions.

“The squalls are meandering over the region, but if they stall over an area we could see an additional 10 to 15 centimetres,” said Marie-eve Giguere, an Environment Canada meteorologist.

“This evening will be the worst, but overnight they should start to diminish as high pressure starts to affect the region.”

The OPP also reported a number of other accidents along the 400-series highways due to poor road conditions.

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