Up to 20 centimetres of snow set to blast parts of northern Ontario

Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 6:27 AM -

An early season snowfall is hitting parts of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.  

A low pressure system over eastern Lake Superior pushed into northeastern Ontario on Monday.

Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning on Sunday for Geraldton, Manitouwadge and Hornepayne, where up to 20 cm is possible. 

According to Environment Canada, there is some uncertainty as to how much snow will fall as temperatures will hover near the freezing mark. 

"If temperatures are slightly warmer than currently expected, some melting would occur which could limit accumulations," EC says in their statement. 

Monica Vaswani, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, says the conditions will persist through the evening.

"There could be periods of heavy snowfall Monday evening. An additional 5 to 10 cm is possible before the conditions taper Tuesday morning."

"First Snow" - Kaministiqua, Ontario

In Manitoba, there is a chance of lake effect snow showers through Tuesday, downwind of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba.

The highest accumulations in local areas will be around 5 cm. 

“Most snow accumulations will be on roof tops and grassy areas, if any," said Brian Dillon, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. "The reason for this is because the ground temperature is too warm for snowfall accumulations on roadways.”

With this cold air in place, people have to be aware of the wind chill feeling near -15 in southern Manitoba. In northern Ontario, wind chill values will be between -5 and -10. 

"These wind chills will remain in place for most of the week, as cold air sticks around,” added Dillon.

Snow also coated the Trans Canada Highway, between Regina and Belle Plain.

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Drivers in the affected areas are advised to exercise caution as road conditions can become poor at times. 

Commuting tips: 

• Slow down 
• Leave extra time 
• Keep distance between other vehicles 

Be sure to visit the Alerts section of our website for watches and warnings.