Treacherous, snowy conditions will continue Thursday across parts of Ontario
A late-season winter storm will make for more treacherous conditions into Thursday for parts of northern Ontario, ushering in spring with 20-40 cm of snowfall for some locales
The arrival of spring in parts of northern Ontario will be met with lingering, hazardous conditions from a potent winter storm, with 20-40 cm of snow and dangerous whiteout conditions on the table.
Winter storm warnings, special weather statements and a winter weather travel advisory are in effect across northern Ontario, with drivers urged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
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A swath of 20-40 cm of snow is expected in areas situated east and northeast of Lake Superior, extending to the Quebec border. That, combined with powerful wind gusts, could make for some dangerous travel and closures into Thursday.
Be sure to check highway conditions and local weather alerts before heading out this week.
Thursday: Travel not recommended as heavy snow continues to target northeastern Ontario
A Colorado low pulled up ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it entered the Great Lakes.
A mass of cold air sitting over northern Ontario is fighting back against the low, with the cold, northwesterly winds wrapping around it to create a band of heavy snow over the northeast.
Snow began Wednesday afternoon and picked up in strength in the evening, with intense snowfall rates of 3-5 cm per hour by Wednesday night and continuing Thursday morning.
Winds will also whip up to 40-60 km/h, resulting in reduced visibility and blowing snow along the highways. Highway 17 will be at the greatest risk of impacts.
"Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the winter storm warning. "Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays."
Chapleau and Timmins are forecast to see the heaviest snowfall totals, with 20-40 cm of wet snow possible, while Sault Ste, Marie will also be getting a hefty 15-25 cm.
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Not much farther east in North Bay, folks may have woken up to thunder Thursday morning as a line of thunderstorms ahead of the cold front moved through the area.
Warm air wins out over southern and eastern Ontario for now
At the same time, we saw the typical spring-like weather in southern and eastern Ontario on Wednesday.
Many areas reached the high teens and even into the low 20s. Vineland, Ont., hit 23.1 C––making it the warmest temperature in Canada so far this year.
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Conditions remained dry until a cold front triggered rain, and even a few rumbles of thunder, early Thursday, bringing a coating of dust to parts of southern Ontario early in the morning.
Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate for most of next week. Changeable temperatures are expected to tip to the cold side of normal through early April. An active pattern is anticipated, as well.
Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across Ontario.