Worst of southern Ontario's winter storm will greatly hinder Thursday travel
A major winter storm impacting southern Ontario will have wide-ranging and significant ramifications for travel on Thursday, with many school bus cancellations and significant weather event designations announced ahead of time to deal with the expected snow effects.
Southern Ontario is in the midst of a potent winter storm, with conditions rapidly deteriorating through Wednesday overnight.
The impacts are starting to rise. There has already been multiple school bus cancellations and closings announced for Thursday, along with city-designated significant weather events to deal with snow-clearing efforts. There has also been at least one reported collision, with a motorist struck by a vehicle on the eastbound lane of Highway 407.
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The Thursday morning commute will be quite hazardous, with major slowdowns expected and possible road closures. By the time the event wraps up, 15-35+ cm of snow will fall throughout the province, with peak snowfall rates hitting 2 to 4 cm an hour at times.
If your plans are flexible, delaying non-essential travel on Thursday morning could save you from a stressful and dangerous commute. Emergency service vehicles also rely on clear roads to be able to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies.
Be sure to keep up-to-date on your local weather alerts, and always check the highway conditions before heading out.
Storm impacts: Closures, accident and city-designated significant weather events
As precautions, many communities took advantage of the calm weather before the storm on Wednesday to announce closures for Thursday. Numerous school boards cancelled school buses and vans for Thursday, including in Ottawa, where all buses have been cancelled, and the Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) in Lindsay, Ont.
Another closure on Thursday is the Toronto Zoo, announced on Wednesday. As well, Metrolinx announced a modification schedule for transit on Thursday as a result of the storm.
As well, multiple cities including Kingston and Toronto declared significant weather events to prepare for the worst impacts on Thursday, to aid in the snow-clearing efforts.
There has also been at least one reported collision, with a motorist struck by a vehicle on the eastbound lane of Highway 407, east of Airport Road, after attempting to walk to the centre median after their vehicle spun out of control. The two eastbound lanes have been closed, according to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Additional land and air travel are highly likely to face disruptions on Thursday.
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Snowfall totals, and the higher snowfall rates at times, will certainly make for slower drives and slick roads.
Timing:
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The snow quickly became widespread across central and the rest of southern Ontario through Wednesday night, and will continue to push across into the pre-dawn hours of Thursday. Snowfall rates at times may increase to more than two cm an hour, leading to reduced visibility and difficult travel conditions.
Strong winds will continue to blow snow around and reduce visibility on the roads.
By late Wednesday night and extending into early Thursday morning, the snow will pick up in intensity for eastern Ontario, including the Ottawa Valley.
The worst conditions of the entire storm will occur across the east early Thursday, with intense snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm an hour impacting the region.
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The system will continue to pull off towards the east, with lingering light snow and flurries still falling through Thursday morning for southwestern Ontario.
Snow will also continue across the GTA early Thursday, certainly making for a long morning of shovelling and commuting for many. You'll want to consider remote work options, but if driving is unavoidable, definitely allow extra time and be ready for delays.
Lake-effect snow, and gusty winds are forecast to pick up in the wake of the low Thursday across southern Ontario, with the the traditional snowbelt areas forecast to see the lake-effect snow squalls continue into the end of the work week.
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While some clearing occurs, lingering light snow continues for parts of extreme eastern Ontario, including Ottawa, through Thursday evening.
Gusty winds ahead and behind the low also threaten to blow around any recent accumulations, with snow drifts causing reduced visibility and dangerous whiteouts on the roads.
Drivers are urged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
Major snowfall totals:
This one event will likely bring some of the greatest snowfall totals of the season so far to Toronto and Ottawa.
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The highest snowfall accumulations will stretch north of the GTA, through cottage country, and towards the Ottawa Valley, with 25-35 cm of snow forecast.
Snowfall totals will be much less towards the shores of Lake Erie, as rain and mixing is forecast.
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A higher range of snowfall totals are also expected across the GTA, with Toronto likely to see between 15-20 cm.
Next snowstorm lines up for Family Day long weekend
Fair weather is likely on Friday, but this will only be a brief breather, with another winter storm expected to impact the region on the weekend. It is still early to have confidence in the storm track and impacts, but widespread totals of 10-20+cm are expected on Saturday and Sunday, once again.
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Dangerous travel and severe cold for Family Day across southern Ontario. Frigid, Arctic air will spread across the region as our weekend storm departs.
Daytime temperatures will remain in the negative teens with a strong and gusty northwest wind, causing extensive blowing and drifting snow, along with whiteouts, especially in open areas north of the GTA where bands of lake-effect snow squalls are also likely.
The wind chill will be in the -20s and could reach the -30s. Severe cold will continue through Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.