Light snow, freezing drizzle slows Monday's commute in the GTA

Monday, December 9, 2013, 8:16 AM -

TUNE IN: We're covering this system and its impact on the commute. Watch The Weather Network on TV for updates.

Drivers across southern Ontario were being warned to leave a lot of extra time for their Monday morning commute. 

A system from the United States brought cooler temperatures and light snow across the region late Sunday. 

1-3 cm fell overnight in the GTA; Light snow is mixing w/ freezing drizzle for morning commute; Most roads wet, untreated roads are slippery

— Doug Gillham (@gtaweather1) December 9, 2013

While snowfall amounts were minimal across the GTA, several accidents were reported through the morning commute. 

The risk for patchy freezing drizzle also resulted in dangerous driving conditions.  

"This isn’t a major storm for southern Ontario, but with temperatures just below zero, there’s a risk of freezing drizzle, which could make for a slick commute in the GTA," says Weather Network meteorologist Gina Ressler. 

The risk for freezing drizzle is expected to ease as temperatures warm Monday, with the chance for lake effect flurries to continue for areas east of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

"Lake effect flurries are expected to develop later today and persist into tonight as colder air moves into the region," says Environment Canada in their special weather statement Monday morning. "These flurries are expected to intensify on Tuesday with snow squalls likely. Up to 5 centimetres are expected later today into tonight with an additional 10 to 15 centimetres possible on Tuesday."

EC adds that the snow squalls may continue into Wednesday and Thursday. 

Next up: The Maritimes. 

"Snow will spread across the Maritimes Monday afternoon," Ressler says. "Snow may change to ice pellets or freezing rain across mainland Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick Monday night through Tuesday morning."

Northwest New Brunswick could see as much as 15 cm, much of the rest of the province and Nova Scotia could get as much as 10 cm, with lower amounts elsewhere.

In Newfoundland, the snow starts Monday overnight, switching to light rain along the south coast and Avalon Peninsula through the day before leaving the island Tuesday evening.

"After this system departs, chilly temperatures will return across the east," Ressler says.

As cold as it will be, the western provinces have had it much worse over the weekend, with windchills well down to the -40 mark.

And further south, a huge section of the United States have been dealing with snow, rain and icy conditions.