Massive temperature warm-up on deck for Ontario this week. Will it last?
A warm-up heading for Ontario this week will make snow a memory, for now, at least
Ontarians get to trade in their snow shovels for short sleeves...this week, anyway.
Atmospheric fortunes will turn on a dime over the next few days as a warmer pattern builds over the Great Lakes. Widespread, double-digit high temperatures are likely by the middle of the week.
Enjoy it while it lasts, though, as a reality check is barrelling toward us to end the month of March.
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An upper-level low swung over the Great Lakes like a wrecking ball last weekend. That trough fuelled a one-two punch of storms that brought widespread rain, followed by cold winds and a dose of lake-effect snow.
That pattern will exit stage right as we begin the work week, allowing a healthy ridge of high pressure to build in its wake.
Upper-level ridges are a calm weather lover’s best friend. Air sinks beneath ridges, warming up and drying out as it descends toward the ground.
The influence of the upper-level ridge will combine with southerly winds blowing across the border to help boost temperatures by the middle of the week.
Daytime highs in the mid-teens are likely across southern Ontario, with a comfortable 17°C expected in Toronto on Wednesday. Folks in far southwestern Ontario near Windsor will creep into the upper teens on Wednesday, with someone possibly getting close to the 20-degree mark.
Warmth will even spread into eastern Ontario through the middle of the week, with several days at or near 10°C in the cards for the National Capital Region.
Enjoy the warmer temperatures while they’re around. A much colder pattern is expected to develop around the official first day of spring, continuing through the end of March and into early April.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.