Spring to arrive with hiccups in Ontario as winter says goodbye
Winter is on its way out, but it will have some departing shots for parts of Ontario to kick off the official start to spring this weekend after a run-of-the-mill system brings periods of showers.
Spring doesn't start until Sunday, but southern Ontario is getting a brief taste of it this week, with a few locales hitting the 20-degree mark Thursday. A bit of a drop for Friday and Saturday, but still above seasonal as we gear up to bid adieu to winter. Accompanying the warmth for the start of the weekend will be a run-of-the-mill Texas low, bringing some rain to the south with a wintry mix on the backside to usher in spring. The weekend won't be a washout by any means, however. More on what’s ahead, below.
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FRIDAY: ABOVE-SEASONAL TEMPERATURES LINGER, HEIGHTENED FLOOD RISK FOR SOME
Several communities were fortunate enough to hit the 20-degree mark in southern Ontario Thursday, with Windsor being the first in Canada to do so. London and Vineland also did so.
Temperatures will take a bit of a dip Friday, but daytime highs will remain above seasonal with readings in the upper single or lower double digits for most of the region. London may hit the mid-teens.
However, with the mild temperatures and incoming rain, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) issued a combined flood warning/watch for the Grand River watershed due to the anticipated runoff from snowmelt and the continued potential for ice jams. A flood warning is in place for the Speed River in Cambridge, while a watch covers the rest of the watershed.
"Ice on local water bodies, where it remains, has been significantly weakened, resulting in extremely unsafe conditions. The public is asked to stay off all water bodies. Accessing frozen water bodies puts both the public and municipal first responders at risk," the GRCA said in the statement.
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority (ORCA) has also issued a flood watch for all the water bodies in its region except the Trent-Severn Waterway.
Area residents can expect ponding of water in low-lying areas because frozen or saturated ground conditions will prevent absorption. Also, ponding and possibly flooding of adjacent roadways and pathways will occur around culverts and drainage basins that are blocked due to snow, ice and/or debris accumulations.
WEEKEND: UNSETTLED WITH WINTRY MIX AT TIMES BUT NOT A WASHOUT
A Texas low approaching the Great Lakes will bring our next bout of active weather across southern Ontario.
Precipitation will begin to push into southwestern Ontario and along the Lake Huron shores Friday evening, reaching the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) closer to the overnight period, spreading east into the rest of region Saturday. Eastern Ontario will see a fair start to the day, with rain reaching it by the afternoon.
It won't be a washout of a day by any means, with on-and-off periods of widespread light showers. We can expect 10-25 mm of rain for most areas through Sunday morning, with the higher end of the totals for southwestern and eastern sections.
Cooler air filtering in behind the low will allow a wintry mix to develop over parts of southern Ontario Saturday overnight into Sunday morning as the system pulls away from the region. A rain-snow mix is possible for cottage country, and parts of eastern and southwestern regions. The south will be clear by the afternoon, allowing for a pleasant, but cooler remainder of the official start of spring.
Fair and mild weather is expected to return for early next week. Above-seasonal temperatures will persist through mid-week, but another Texas low is expected to move in. At this point it looks like widespread rain for much of the region, but we will have to closely watch the storm track as there will be a threat for a period of ice or snow at the start, especially for areas farther north and east.
Forecasters are also watching the potential for a colder pattern to return for the final few days of March. April is expected to test our patience at times with periods of colder weather.
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Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast in Ontario.