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Hazardous driving with blustery snow. Main areas to avoid:


Erin Wenckstern
Meteorologist

Friday, December 15, 2017, 8:03 AM - Heads-up southern Ontario, lake-effect snow squalls may catch you off guard as they set up for Friday.  As these fire hoses of snow sweep across some of the major highways during peak commute hours, localized bursts and suddenly reduced visibility can be expected.

While most will see periods of light snow through the day as a weak system travels through, three main areas will be the target for bigger impacts with squalls:

  • GTA and east along Highway 401 to Brockville
  • Hamilton and Niagara; briefly Burlington and Oakville
  • Barrie to Parry Sound and Grey-Bruce

Be sure to watch the video above for a quick, one minute forecast, or continue reading for a break down of each region below.

Keep on top of active weather by visiting the ALERTS page.

GTA and East along Highway 401 to Brockville

Beginning in the early to mid-afternoon hours on Friday, a band of snow off Lake Ontario will drift north, targeting highway 401 from the eastern GTA (Whitby and Oshawa) through to Cobourg, Kingston and past Brockville. This stretch of highway is notorious for hazardous road conditions during this type of lake-effect snow event. While this is where the snow will be heaviest, a burst of snow will track through the GTA in time for the afternoon commute, with accumulations of 1-3 cm.

As traffic is typically bumper-to-bumper across the 401, 404, DVP and Gardiner daily, be prepared for further delays.


The squall will quickly coat the roads and suddenly reduce visibility before pushing back south late Friday. Motorists are urged to drive with caution and avoid unnecessary travel. If possible, leave before noon on Friday if heading east to avoid the potential squall during the afternoon and the inevitable backed up traffic it causes.

Through the overnight, a burst of snow will descend down highway 400 from Barrie, reaching the northern GTA in the pre-dawn hours and lingering across the north and east through Saturday morning.

Niagara and Hamilton

Southwest winds off Lake Erie will develop a band of snow from Fort Erie up to St. Catharines late Friday morning. The squall will lift north through the Niagara region, bringing reduced visibility and snowfall across the QEW, and Highways 20, 3, and 6. The band will likely pass through Hamilton briefly in the afternoon, potentially reaching as far north as Burlington and Oakville, with only light snow expected.


Late Friday afternoon, the bands will push back south, returning the squall to Niagara Falls for the evening hours, leading to improving conditions for the QEW between Hamilton to St. Catharines. However, the commute through the afternoon and early evening will be greatly impacted, so expect traffic delays and enhanced congestion.

Barrie to Parry Sound and Grey-Bruce

With a southwest wind, snow squalls will affect areas east of both Lake Huron and Georgian Bay through Friday, significantly reducing visibility along Highways 400, 69 and 21 from Grand Bend to the Bruce Peninsula.


Throughout the evening, the winds begin to shift to the northwest, pushing the squalls southward into Collingwood, Orillia and Barrie. The burst of snow is forecast to arrive late in the evening for Barrie, but any travel along highways 400, 26, 10 and 6 will be hazardous at times as the squalls meander through Friday.

Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

Watch below: Educating youth on safe driving for the upcoming winter


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