Environment and Climate Change Canada (Environment Canada) has issued a Snow Squall Watch for the North Bay–Powassan–Mattawa corridor, including Mattawa, Ont., warning that a sharp cold front will bring intense, localized snow squalls beginning Friday, Jan. 17, 2026. The frontal bands could produce rapid snowfall — generally in the 10–15 cm range (locally up to about 15 cm) — with sudden reductions in visibility to near zero and dangerous travel conditions into Saturday.
Local road crews and the OPP North East Region are urging drivers to avoid travel if possible, particularly on Highway 17, while crews work to keep major routes passable. Town of Mattawa public works staff noted that steep sections such as Dorion Road can become very difficult for vehicles during intense bursts of snow.
The North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) is warning residents to stay off river ice on the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers. The NBMCA has said recent temperature fluctuations produced a dangerous “ice lens” within the snowpack — a hidden layer that can make the surface appear solid even when underlying river ice is too thin to support people or snowmobiles.
School-bus safety is a priority: meteorologists say the most intense squalls may arrive during Friday evening commutes and again on Saturday. Nipissing–Parry Sound Student Transportation Services (NPSSTS) monitors road and weather conditions early each morning — typically assessing conditions between about 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. and issuing a decision (when required) by roughly 5:45 a.m. — to determine whether buses can operate safely on rural routes. Residents are advised to prepare vehicles with emergency kits and to clear all snow from windows, lights and mirrors before driving.
