The blizzard forecast for the area may have taken a little longer to storm the area than expected.
But people in Orillia woke up this morning to driveways and streets choked with snow.
The snowfall prompted the Orillia OPP to issue an advisory, urging people to stay home as "all road conditions and visibility are very poor" in the Orillia area.
Highway 11, north of Gravenhurst, is closed in both directions due to the storm, police say.
ROAD CLOSURE: Rama Rd between #Hwy12 #Orillia and County Rd 169 #Washago - Road closed due to poor weather and driving conditions. ^jt pic.twitter.com/Rtgxlh5HUh
— OPPCommunicationsCR (@OPP_COMM_CR) December 25, 2022
Police say numerous vehicles are in the ditch in the area of Highway 12 and Rama Road and advise motorists to avoid the area.
At 11 a.m. Orillia OPP announced that Rama Road between Highway 12 in Orillia and County Road 169 in Washago had been closed "due to poor weather and driving conditions."
In addition, County Rd 169 between Highway 12 in Brechin and Highway 11 in Washago had also been shut down.
Environment Canada predicts Orillia could be inundated with 30 to 60 centimetres of snow before the day is done.
Orillia weather watcher David Brain says 21 centimetres of the white stuff has fallen in Orillia since 5 a.m. and warns the squall could be locked over the city for much of Christmas Day.