Slick roads force bus cancellations in Ontario

Wednesday, February 3, 2016, 12:38 PM - Whether it's snow, rain or freezing rain, Wednesday's commute in Ontario is likely to be a challenging one.

A strong low pressure system that's bringing blizzard conditions across parts of the U.S. Mid-west pushed into southern Ontario Tuesday night.

For some, the precipitation started as snow with 5-10 cm reported across parts of northern Ontario.

"A further 5 cm may be expected in some areas today before tapering off this evening," says Environment Canada in a special weather statement issued for northern regions. "General snowfall totals with this disturbance should be in the 10-15 cm range."

Widespread freezing rain warnings also covered parts of northern and eastern Ontario early Wednesday, and quickly deteriorating driving conditions prompted some school bus cancellations first thing.

"Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery," EC warns. "Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions."

According to EC, power outages are not out of the question either.

For much of southern Ontario, this system resembled more of a classic fall storm with heavy rain and mild temperatures on tap.

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Double digit temperatures

As conditions gradually clear across southern Ontario Wednesday, record breaking temperatures are likely with southerly winds and double digit highs expected.

"The warm-up will be short-lived however, as a cold front will sweep across the region and bring more seasonal temperatures for the end of the week and weekend," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham.

With the Great Lakes still almost ice-free, heavy lake snow squalls are likely in the snow belt regions through the second week of February.

Want to know more about the second half of winter? Check out our UPDATED Winter Forecast here.