Major snowfall threat with next Ontario winter storm (with another on deck)
The February winter storm frenzy is shaping up across southern Ontario with two major systems to watch this week, with the first to arrive with a bout of heavy snow on Wednesday
Southern Ontario residents will need to keep their snow-clearing equipment handy this week as multiple systems will have the potential to dump hefty accumulations.
The first will be a from a stateside low, expected to move in Wednesday with snow and gusty winds, and the chance of rain and a wintry mix for some locales. While the exact track and impacts are still uncertain, some areas could see more than 20 cm of snow through Thursday.
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Needless to say, expect plenty of travel disruptions and potential power outages from the strong wind gusts.
As always, be sure to keep up-to-date on your local weather alerts and always check the highway conditions before heading out.
Wednesday into Thursday: Texas low brings widespread lake-effect snow
While the exact track of the low remains uncertain, it will bring widespread precipitation to many across the province.
This system will brings gusts of up to 60 km/h along the northern side of Lake Ontario, increasing the risk of blowing snow and reduced visibility. The strongest wind gusts will be felt over the Niagara region on Thursday morning, potentially reaching 70-90km/h.
Localized, lake-effect snow develops across western portions of Lake Ontario, including areas from St. Catharines to Toronto during the afternoon.
As the low continues to move in through Wednesday afternoon, snowfall will continue to get heavier during the evening and overnight hours, particularly across areas north of Lake Ontario, including parts of cottage country.
Folks can expect significant slowdowns and hazardous conditions on highways during this time.
The most potential for the heaviest snow occurs across southern and eastern Ontario in the early hours on Thursday morning, as a widespread, heavy swath of snow north of the low could bring 20+ cm of accumulation, leading to travel disruptions and potential flight cancellations due to the heavy, blowing snow.
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Cold air from up north will also be clashing milder air from down south, leading to some rainfall sneaking into the region, particularly around Lake Erie, Niagara region, and possibly even into the GTA.
Gusty winds up to 70-90 km/h where we see the clashing on Thursday morning will also increase the risk for power outages.
As the low slips south during Thursday afternoon, the snowfall will gradually reduce across eastern Ontario and southern Quebec.
There is some uncertainty as to the exact track of the storm, if the low shifts even slightly northward, it could push the warm air further north, bringing a risk of a wintry mix to regions south of Highway 401.
There is also low confidence in pinpointing the regions that could see the heaviest amount of snowfall, but areas like Barrie, Bancroft, and Ottawa are likely to see the largest impacts.
Fair weather is expected on Friday, but another winter storm is expected to impact the region during the weekend as a Colorado low is expected to track south of the region, but close enough to bring widespread snow to southern Ontario on Saturday.
Next week is expected to be cold with bands of lake-effect snow earlier in the week, and then the risk for another significant system or two later in the week.
The next two weeks could really shape how this winter is remembered across the region. Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate through the end of February and into March.
Be sure to check back with The Weather Network as the details of this storm continue to come into focus.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.