Strong winds, rumbles of thunder likely Thursday for Ontario and Quebec
A dynamic system rolling across the Great Lakes will continue spreading active weather across Ontario and Quebec through the end of the week.
A robust storm rolling across the Great Lakes will continue to bring a spell of rough weather to parts of Ontario and Quebec over the next couple of days. Strong winds will sweep over southern Ontario during the day Thursday. Meanwhile, eastern Ontario and southern Quebec could see a chance for thunder in the evening. Temperatures fall again in time for the weekend. More on what to expect through the weekend, below.
THURSDAY: GUSTY WINDS BEHIND FRONT, THUNDER RISK FROM OTTAWA TO MONTREAL
We’re still dealing with a sprawling Texas low working its way across the Great Lakes region. Much of southern Ontario saw an unpleasant morning commute on Wednesday as wintry precipitation swept over the area.
READ MORE: Colorado vs. Texas Lows—what’s the difference?
The region will jump from a wintry Wednesday to a spring-like Thursday as warmer temperatures spill across the region. High temperatures will reach the teens in many areas, with a high of 15°C expected in Toronto.
Unfortunately, the warmth will come at a cost.
Strong southwesterly winds will crank up over southern Ontario during the day on Thursday. Many areas are at risk of 70-90 km/h wind gusts, with the highest gusts likely close to Lake Huron. Winds this strong could lead to isolated tree damage or power outages in some communities.
Farther east, we’re watching the potential for a few rumbles of thunder during the evening hours.
A mix of clouds and sun during the day will provide just enough instability to give us a chance for isolated thunderstorms as the cold front pushes into eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. The best chance to hear some thunder exists from the National Capital Region east toward Montreal during the early evening.
FRIDAY: TEMPERATURES FALL, FLURRIES LIKELY FOR SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Friday is going to feel like a rude wakeup call after Thursday’s warmth. Northwesterly winds will usher in colder temperatures and a chance for morning flurries across southern Ontario.
The snow should be more conversational than anything to worry about, but some lake-effect enhancement near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay could affect travel for the usual trouble spots.
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Friday’s high temperatures will fall more than 10°C from Thursday’s warmth, with Toronto tumbling from 15°C on Thursday to just 3°C during the day on Friday. Similar low- to mid-single-digit readings are likely from southern Ontario to southern Quebec.
THIS WEEKEND AND BEYOND: UNREMARKABLE AND NEAR SEASONAL
A quick-moving system could bring some rain or snow showers to southern Ontario on Saturday night into early Sunday morning, but it shouldn’t pose too much of a disruption.
Otherwise, conditions will remain relatively calm and near-seasonal for southern Ontario and Quebec heading into next week. We’re watching the potential for unsettled conditions to return to the region by the latter half of next week.
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Thumbnail courtesy of Alain Vallieres.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast across Ontario and Quebec.