Watch for waterspouts this week throughout Ontario
Meteorologist
Friday, September 29, 2017, 9:24 AM - Crisp, cool air has begun to flow into Ontario, bringing a fall feel back to the region. As the cold air meets the unseasonably warm Great Lakes, the formation of waterspouts is possible Friday.
See what the warm Great Lakes means for winter
While they certainly look like tornadoes, they form under very different atmospheric conditions and are typically harmless.
In comparison, a tornado forms from a supercell – which is a rotating thunderstorm – whereas a waterspout typically forms from a rapidly developing cloud. You can think of a waterspout as an extension of the cloud, or a visual display of a cloud forming. It is in moist, but cool, environments that these non-supercell waterspouts form.
As the cold air from northern Ontario continues to advect over eastern Canada, the set up for waterspouts will continue Friday, so keep your eyes open if you live near the Great Lakes, especially into the morning hours, when the temperature contrast between the cold air and warm lakes is greatest.
Your weather this weekend
A classic fall weekend is ahead for southern Ontario, meaning an abundance of sunshine and crisp air.
Friday brings light rain, with the risk of thunderstorms through the mid-afternoon.
Up to 25 mm can be expected in Cottage Country, with 5-10 mm likely northwest of Toronto.
Saturday will be dry, but chilly, with the chance of frost in some rural areas.
The next system looks to track into northwestern Ontario Sunday night. A ridge currently over the Prairies, is expected to slide into the Great Lakes region by Monday, with above seasonal temperatures likely by the middle of next week.
"Temperature peak on Wednesday, with mid to upper 20s expected," says The Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham. "Briefly cooler late next week -- uncertainty regarding the extent of the cooler weather for the south, but it looks like milder weather will spread back into the region during the long weekend."
