PHOTOS: Sneaky late-May wet snow in Ontario catches many by surprise
Parts of southern Ontario got a rude awakening on Friday morning, with the sight of wet snow and other frozen precipitation — an unusual presence in the region this late in the spring.
Many in southern Ontario were caught off guard Friday morning once they awoke to a frightening scene — wet snow, freezing rain and ice pellets.
With temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark in parts of the region, a low-pressure system that tracked south of the province Friday morning helped usher in wet snow, freezing rain, ice pellets to parts of the region, much of it falling in higher terrains in the south.
"This pattern of a ridge to the north and low tracking to the south of the Great Lakes is your typical pattern where you can get freezing rain and ice pellets. This setup would be quite normal in the winter," said Nadine Hinds-Powell, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. "What is unusual though is that it is this late in spring and the cold air intrusion into the moisture is this far south in Ontario."
There were reports of ice pellets and large snowflakes less than 10 km northwest of Milton, Ont., on the escarpment, with a light dusting on some surfaces, lasting into the early afternoon hours in some areas.
Below is a selection of the snowy scenes that are currently making the rounds on social media.
There were reports of ice pellets and large snowflakes less than 10 km northwest of Milton, Ont., on the escarpment, with a light dusting on some surfaces. (Joe Brazeau).
Thumbnail courtesy of Jeanne, taken in Eugenia, Ont.