Get ready for a 'classic' Canadian winter weekend in southern Ontario
Temperatures moderate as we head into the weekend, but bands of lake-effect snow could impact some weekend travel plans in southern Ontario
This week has been frigid, and even for those who may love winter weather, it has been difficult to enjoy being outside. But, some relief is on the way!
As we head into the weekend, temperatures will recover to more typical mid-winter cold conditions, making it more enjoyable, and much more comfortable, to do your favourite outdoor winter activities.
However, travel conditions are always a concern this time of year. Will lake-effect snow impact your ability to get around this weekend? Please read on for all of your weekend weather details, below.
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Friday
Friday will feature fair weather across most of southern Ontario, with a mix of sun and cloudy periods. While temperatures will still be several degrees colder than seasonal, there will be less wind, so it will be noticeably more comfortable to be outside.
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Lake-effect flurries will linger for a while across the snowbelt areas to the east of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, but this will not have a major impact on travel.
Friday night will be partly cloudy and cold, but close to what we should expect during the final week of January.
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Saturday
Clouds will mix with some peeks of sun during Saturday, and temperatures will be a couple degrees 'warmer.' However, we won’t be able to feel the benefit of those extra degrees as a gusty southwest wind will add a significant wind chill.
Passing flurries are possible during Saturday, and there will be some lake-effect snow for areas east and northeast of Georgian Bay, especially in the Parry Sound area, but snow totals will not be substantial.
Flurries will become more widespread on Saturday evening and overnight, but most areas will only receive a light dusting of snow. However, bands of lake-effect snow will become more organized in the snowbelt regions east of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay during the evening and will persist through the night.
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Sunday
Lake-effect snow squalls will continue through Sunday morning, especially between Barrie and Bracebridge. This will have a significant impact on travel along stretches of Highway 11 and 400.
There will also be poor visibility and blowing snow across the snowbelts to the east of Lake Huron. Many places in the snowbelts will see new snow totals of 5 to 10 cm, but localized totals of 10 to 15+ cm are possible with the more persistent lake-effect bands.
The bands of lake-effect snow will diminish during the afternoon and especially into the evening, so travel conditions will improve late in the day.
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Elsewhere across southern Ontario, clouds will mix with some sunshine and temperatures will be near seasonal.
Next week
Near seasonal temperatures will continue into early next week.
Another shot of Arctic air is expected for the middle of next week, but temperatures are not expected to be as cold as what we saw earlier this week. However, a couple of clipper systems are likely, so keep your shovel handy.
Will the cold weather continue into February? Will we make it through this winter without seeing a major snowstorm? For answers to these questions, please check back on January 31 for our official February forecast.
