Watch the video above: Police warn drivers to stay off the roads
TORONTO – An intense weather system is making its way across southern Ontario, raising concerns that dangerous conditions will persist on what will be the first day back to school and work for many people.
Snow began late Sunday afternoon across the GTA and lasted into the evening, but that is expected to transition to freezing rain late into the evening and early Monday. The freezing rain will then change to rain as the temperatures rise above the freezing mark.
READ MORE: Environment Canada issues freezing rain warning ahead of Ontario storm
The culprit for the snow and freezing rain is a low pressure system that is heavy with moisture. The system has made its way from Colorado.
Freezing rain warnings have been issued across the GTA, though it isn’t expected to be anything like the ice storm that parts of southern and eastern Ontario experienced on Dec. 22.
- S&P/TSX composite up almost 100 points, U.S. stock markets climb ahead of jobs report
- ‘I will never go back’: Ontario family doctor says new AI notetaking saved her job
- ‘Always Beleaf’: What Leafs fans are saying ahead of Game 6 against Boston
- CafeTO rollout going smoothly so far as spaces for patios begin to be blocked off
Freezing rain warnings have been issued for: Toronto, York Region, Halton, Peel, Hamilton, Oxford, London, Niagara, Bancroft, Belleville, Brockville, Hamilton, Ottawa, Cornwall, Haldimand, Simcoe, Lanark, Waterloo, Peterborough and surrounding regions.
Snowfall warnings have been issued for: Huron, Windsor, Chatham, Sarnia, Muskoka, Parry Sound, Huron-Perth, Haliburton, Grey and Bruce counties, Bayfield Inlet and Algonquin.
Snow squall watches have also been issued for: Barrie, Orillia, Midland, Dufferin, Innisfil, Grey, Bruce, Haliburton, Halton, Peel, Huron, Perth and surrounding areas.
On top of the snow, bitterly cold wind will develop on Monday. This could cause flash freeze conditions and produce extremely cold wind chill values.
READ MORE: Toronto flight slides off runway at JFK airport
“Wind chills will drop to the -30 C to -40 C range by the end of the day Monday along with wind gusts to 60 km/h,” said Global’s Chief Meteorologist Anthony Farnell. “This will continue on Tuesday as the coldest temperatures move through. Some -40 C to -45 C wind chills are also briefly possible.”
North of the GTA, snow squalls are expected to add the snow and freezing rain.
GALLERY: Photos of the storm from across Ontario
“Squalls will be a big problem later Monday through Wednesday morning,” Farnell said. “Lake effect snow will top 50 cm in spots with the north end of the GTA in the main swath for a time. Even Toronto will get some heavy snow and zero visibility occasionally late Monday and Tuesday.”
Environment Canada issued a particularly strong advisory in its snow squall watches:
“Combined with extreme wind chills, this may become potentially life-threatening if anyone becomes stranded in vehicles on snow-blocked highways.”
Motorists are urged to use caution on the roads. The OPP Tweeted Sunday night that there was over 40 collisions in the course of an hour.
They also urged motorists to clean the snow completely from their vehicles before heading out.
For more info on Toronto weather, visit our Skytracker page.
LIVE BLOG: Updates on the Ontario snow storm
Comments