Sharp temperature drop in Ontario as coldest air of the year arrives
Bundle up, Ontario, as some of the coldest temperatures in years are set to spread across the province for the second half of this weekend and beyond
Don't let the early-weekend warm-up fool you, Ontario.
Saturday's mild temperatures will quickly give way to some of the coldest temperatures of the season by Sunday morning, and linger through much of next week.
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In fact, some locales in Ontario could see as much as a 20- to 24-degree drop in 18-24 hours. Also, for some areas, these will actually be the coldest conditions in years.
If you're planning on travelling, be wary of slippery road conditions as the sudden drop will lead to snow-covered surfaces becoming icy. And, if you're planning on going outside, bundle up with extra layers and limit exposure to the cold.
Sudden drop in temperatures as Arctic air floods in
A warm front will shift the winds to the south Saturday, bringing in milder temperatures for a good chunk of the province. Saturday's highs will range from 1°C to -3°C, but this warm-up will be brief.
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After the cold front moves through, air from the Arctic floods into the province. Some lake-effect snowfall sets up along Lake Huron for additional accumulation around the shorelines.
Arctic air is expected for Sunday and most of next week, with the coldest conditions of the season set to flood through the province.
In parts of northern Ontario, the temperatures will drop about 24°C in just 24 hours, and roughly 30°C in 36 hours.
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The drop isn’t as extreme in southern Ontario, but most areas will see a noticeable, 12-degree temperature tumble from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, with a chillier, 20-degree plummet expected across central regions.
The first cold day will be Sunday, with the Arctic air mass staying in place until Wednesday.
Several days of lake-effect snow are likely for the snowbelts next week, as well, but changeable winds should spread the snow over a larger region and prevent exceptional snow totals.
Some cold weather stats
For many areas, these will actually be the coldest conditions felt in years.
Kenora: Monday's forecast high of -28°C would be the first time plunging that low since January 2019
London: An overnight low temperature of -22°C will be the coldest since 2022
Ottawa: An overnight low temperature of -27°C will be the coldest since February 2023
Toronto: Tuesday's daytime high of -15°C will be the coldest daytime high since January 2019
Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to continue into the final week of January.
As we approach the beginning of February, however, and progress through the first half of the month, much milder air will surge north into the eastern U.S. and attempt to push north of the border into the region. That will bring a milder pattern, but it is too early to know whether this will actually bring an extended period of early spring-like weather, or if this will bring messy storms with an active storm track across the region.