Winter won't quit: More snow and winds hit Ontario this week
Heavy snow in northern Ontario will lead to lake-effect flurries in the south by Tuesday, as temperatures drop well below seasonal, and winter refuses to let go
Despite doses of glorious spring weather across southern Ontario this past weekend, winter refuses to part ways with the region just yet.
More snow flurries and gusty winds will pick up through the mid-week mark, with a reinforcing shot of Arctic air keeping temperatures below seasonal through the Easter long weekend, as well.
RELATED: Canada snags its first tornado of the year and the credit goes to...
Across northern Ontario, the wintry weather will take an even harder hit, with as much as 10-15 cm of spring snow expected for areas along Highway 11 north of Lake Superior through Tuesday. Some of the snowbelt regions farther south will also see some lake-effect, but the accumulations will be noticeably less.
Be sure to monitor local weather alerts and check highway conditions before heading out to start the week.
DON'T MISS: Get to know the hidden gems across Canada
Heavy snow hits northern Ontario through Tuesday
Cold air will infiltrate across northern Ontario on Monday, bringing heavy snow along Highway 17 between Dryden and Thunder Bay, as well as Highway 11. Gusty conditions are expected to cause poor visibility and slippery driving conditions.
DON’T MISS: Canada's capital plummets to a new (chilly) low
Thunder Bay is sitting right along the freezing line, resulting in a period of rain-snow mix through the day on Monday, accumulating minimal snow. However, rainfall amounts can be as high as 30 mm across the region.
The heaviest snowfall occur along an axis along Highway 11 north of Lake Superior. As much as 10-15 cm is possible in those regions, with Thunder Bay expected to see less than 2 cm. Expect difficult travel, especially in the hardest-hit regions.
Winter chill and lake-effect snow returns to southern Ontario by Tuesday
A warm front nudges into southern Ontario early on Monday, with a southeasterly flow bringing temperatures briefly above normal ahead of the cold front. Isolated rain showers will impact southern Ontario through Monday afternoon.
As the cold front departs, cold air is ushered back into the region, bringing in gusty conditions and lake-effect snowfall. The trough on the back end swings through, kick-starting the lake-effect machine Tuesday morning along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay––continuing until Wednesday morning.
Wind gusts across southern Ontario are expected to reach 50-60 km/h, while exposed regions along Lake Huron could reach closer to 70 km/h.
The heaviest accumulation amount is expected to stay along the escarpment, where other regions should average around 2 cm.
Some flurries may make their way into the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), as well, but they will not be sticking around. Parry Sound could see 1-3 cm of snowfall, with a chance of 5+ cm along the escarpment.
Colder weather for Easter weekend, but closely watching the end of April for some warmth
Temperatures will gradually begin to recover near the end of the week, however, a reinforcing shot of Arctic air will keep temperatures below seasonal well into, and possibly through, the Easter long weekend.
There's the potential for a period of warmer weather as we head into the final week of April, and while this won’t flip the switch on the season, several days of much warmer conditions would be such a welcome break after a few weeks of chilly April weather.
Remember, it is not uncommon to get snow in southern Ontario in April, especially in the traditional snowbelts regions, as lake-effect snow can continue this time of year. Even Toronto has recorded many snow days in April, and even two days in May.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Ontario.