Ontario Provincial Police advise that drivers avoid Highway 401 in Essex county if possible.

Driving conditions have deteriorated due to snow.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Saturday morning for parts of the region including Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.

The weather agency said a band of snow is expected to move across the area late this afternoon and into this evening.  This will be the first snowfall of the season for the area and could impact road conditions.

Between 2-5 centimetres of snow could fall in some areas by the time the snow tapers off tonight.

“Additional snow is likely Sunday afternoon into Sunday night when another 2 to 4 cm of accumulation can be expected,” a release from Environment Canada read. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.”