Colorado low brings widespread snow to millions in Ontario
A Colorado low scraping southern Ontario will deliver 5-10 cm of snowfall by Sunday morning, with the heaviest impacts expected for the western Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
The weekend will see more snow headed to southern Ontario, but with the heaviest impacts expected for locales near and in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) this time.
While nothing extraordinary, a widespread 5-10 cm of snow is in the forecast for much of the region as a Colorado low grazes the area. The western GTA could see up to 15 cm, even higher locally along the Lake Ontario shoreline. This will likely be the most snowfall the city of Toronto sees in a single event this winter so far.
RELATED: One dead, multiple injured in Hwy. 11 pileup near Orillia
The winter blast follows on the heels of a fatal vehicle pileup on Highway 11 on Friday, resulting from a persistent, lake-effect snow band that stayed over the Orillia area for much of the day.
Given the weekend timing and less people commuting, and after news of the Highway 11 pileup on Friday, travel may not be as impacted as it would on a weekday. Regardless, be sure to keep up-to-date on your local weather alerts and always check the highway conditions before heading out.
Snow picks up across the Greater Toronto Area Saturday evening
The Colorado low will approach the Great Lakes region from the southwest this weekend. Moisture streaming in from the south, along with frigid air locked in place over southern Ontario, will allow snow to spread over the region beginning Saturday afternoon.
Snow began in the southwestern corner of the province late Saturday afternoon, eventually moving into the GTA during the evening hours.
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Heavy snow is possible at times through the evening hours, with some snow lingering into Sunday morning, as well.
Peak snowfall rates of 2 cm an hour are possible through the evening hours across the GTA.
This will be an all-snowfall event. While this should be a lighter, fluffier snow given the cold temperatures over the region, you’ll need to keep your shovel and snow brushes handy if you’re heading out to any Super Bowl watch parties on Sunday.
Folks from the Huron shores to the Niagara region, including the GTA, can generally expect 5-10 cm of snow from this system. An easterly wind blowing off Lake Ontario could allow the snowfall to overachieve across the western GTA, pushing totals along the shoreline close to or over the 15 cm mark.
Areas along the shoreline of Lake Ontario will see the highest snowfall totals. Communities in the running for the most snow include Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Grimsby.
Ottawa looks to be spared by this system, with less than 5 cm of snow on the way for the National Capital Region. Around 5 cm is likely in the southwest, including Windsor.
More cold, possible snowstorms to watch for this month
Next week will be very cold with flurries and bands of lake-effect snow again for the snowbelts. A weak system is possible on Tuesday, but then we will be closely watching for two large, high-impact storms that are expected to track south of the region.
The first system of concern could impact our region during Wednesday night and into Thursday, but at this point the possible scenarios range from a major snowstorm to a storm track too far south to have a significant influence on the region. Another high-impact storm is possible next weekend.
Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate through the end of February and into March, with an active pattern also expected.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.