PHOTOS: 'Spring' storm catches Central Canada off guard with snow
Mother Nature had a few wintry tricks left up its sleeve this week, shocking many southern Ontario and Quebec residents with accumulating spring snowfall Monday and Tuesday.
Many in Central Canada were foretold about Monday and Tuesday's snowfall, but what may have been surprising to some was just how much actually fell.
The potent low first trekked through southern Ontario Monday, with snow rapidly accumulating in the afternoon and evening. There were also reports of thundersnow in the GTA. The snow rapidly led to slick surfaces and tricky driving.
As a result of the slippery roads Monday, at least one car skirting off the roads in the Niagara region, with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) reporting the incident on Twitter.
Through Tuesday, higher-elevation areas including the Dundalk Highlands and parts of cottage country were forecast to pick up accumulations of 5-10. Localized areas in the latter could even exceed 10 cm.
Conditions in Ontario began to improve throughout the day on Tuesday, but remained on the cool side. A blustery northwest wind developed in behind the departing system, prompting special weather statements for gusts that were forecast to peak between 40-60 km/h, and up to 70 km/h for the shores of Lake Huron. This kept wind chills near to below zero throughout the day.
In Quebec, Tuesday was a difficult day for travel as heavy snow and strong winds made for poor visibility on the roads. The majority of the snowfall tapered off for southern Quebec throughout the late afternoon hours, but the Montreal area still ended up with about 5-10+ cm of snow.
The next system brings in rainfall to southern Ontario and Quebec on Thursday while temperatures range in the mid-teens.
Below are just a selection of visuals that have surfaced on social media from Ontario and Quebec as a result of the late-April, messy snowfall. The snow had a polarizing effect: Some loved it, while others had some choice words for the wintry weather.
QUEBEC
<aONTARIO
Thumbnail courtesy of @HoustonxMTL/Twitter, taken in Montreal, Que.
