A surprise October snowstorm of "historic proportions" hit the Niagara Region in southern Ontario overnight, virtually shutting down an entire town.

Nearly all 30,000 residents of Fort Erie were without electricity Friday morning. Outages also shut down schools and stores.

A firefighter makes his way through broken trees and electrical wires after a snowstorm ripped through neighbourhoods, felling trees and damaging homes Friday in Fort Erie.
(Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop said the community is no stranger to heavy snow and winter storms, but residents were shocked by this early one.

"I grew up in town and I can tell you it's not unusual for us to get a major storm in November," he said. "But I don't ever remember a major storm of this magnitude in October."

Environment Canada said the storm brought "significant snowfalls of historic proportions."

"This really does stand out as a historic event and one that will be looked at by meteorologists in a number of years to come," said Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada who specializes in warning preparedness.

The first snowstorm of the year dumped 30 centimetres in the Fort Erie and Port Colborne area. It was part of a system that walloped Buffalo, N.Y., with a record amount of snow and closed down the Peace Bridge, which connects the city to Fort Erie.

Since records were first kept in the 1870s, there are no snowfalls over a 1½-day period that dumped as much snow in the area as early as October, Coulson said.

Without power

Redekop expected most of the town would have power by mid-afternoon, but it could take hydro crews two to four days to clear downed hydro lines and restore power to the entire area.

Zero visibility caused by blowing snow closed a section of the Queen Elizabeth Way entering Fort Erie.

Ontario Provincial Police urged motorists to avoid the area until further notice.

Environment Canada said the storm could bring 15 more centimetres to the region Friday.

Snowsqualls off Lake Huron also left parts of Ontario's Bruce Peninsula, Parry Sound and other cottage country areas covered in snow.