Orillia is on the icy verge of breaking historic winter snowfall records as heavy snow continues to blanket the region.
In the past 24 hours, the city received between 20 and 25 centimetres of fresh snowfall, according to amateur weather watcher David Brain.
The relentless fury of winter has caused significant disruptions, with all Simcoe County school buses cancelled today. Both school boards also took the unusual step of closing all schools today.
Brain predicts another round of cancellations tomorrow, as an additional 20 to 40 centimetres of snow is expected to fall overnight into Friday afternoon.
Orillia has already recorded 118.4 centimetres of snow in February, rapidly approaching the long-standing February record of 130.8 centimetres, which was set in 1889.
Orillia is also approaching an all-time monthly snowfall milestone. The record for the snowiest winter month stands at 196.9 centimetres, set in December 1878. Meanwhile, the all-time seasonal snowfall record of 477.1 centimetres from the winter of 1995/96 is also within reach.
As of today, Orillia has accumulated 398.4 centimetres for the season. Brain predicts that if the snowfall trend continues through April, the city could surpass 500 centimetres, setting a new record.
With more snow in the forecast, residents are bracing for what could be a winter for the history books.