What has derailed so many southern Ontario storms this winter

Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Digital Writers

Nadine Powell and Nicole Karkic, The Weather Network meteorologists, talk about the hit-or-miss winter Ontario has had so far. Will this next storm be a game-changer?

A potent storm is poised to move into southern Ontario on Wednesday. But a lot of people in the region may have this question come to mind: Is this storm going to get derailed? It's a fair question to ask as this has occurred before, especially in the Golden Horseshoe.


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By derailed, sometimes that means the precipitation ends up falling as rain, rain-snow mix or even freezing rain, instead of snow that was initially forecast.

"We've had a lot of Colorado lows and Texas lows, like the one that's coming in on Wednesday. They typically come with a lot of moisture, but what we have been missing, Nicole, is that cold to bring us heavy snowfall," said Nadine Powell, meteorologist at The Weather Network.

What could also cause a snowfall forecast to fail to pan out is the current lack of ice coverage on the Great Lakes, added Nicole Karkic, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.

"When you have that warm, open lake, you get the onshore flow. [It] keeps things quite mild," said Karkic.

Watch the video above for the full story on past Ontario storms failing to deliver, and whether Wednesday's system has a chance of success.