Winter storm approaching southern Ontario on Nov. 26, 2013

ABOVE: A winter storm is approaching much of southern and eastern Ontario. Jackson Proskow reports. 

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was published on Nov. 26, 2013. For the latest forecasts go to Global’s weather page. A correction has also been posted here.

TORONTO – Much of Ontario could be hit with a blast of winter weather Tuesday.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for parts of Southern Ontario including Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area due to a winter storm pattern moving into the region early this evening and into the overnight hours.

Along the shoreline of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, the precipitation will likely begin as rain or a rain-wet snow mix but the colder air from the Arctic will change over to snow by early Wednesday morning.

Total snowfall amounts will range from just a couple centimetres along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in the Toronto to Hamilton areas, to near 10 cm in parts of Niagara.

Eastern Ontario, including Kingston, Belleville, Cornwall and Ottawa could see as much as 25 centimetres of snow.

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A low pressure system southeast of New Orleans is beginning to track northeast and is expected to intensify into a winter storm as it moves up along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States tonight and into New England on Wednesday.

Wet snow is expected to spread in the regions near Lake Erie and Ontario by early this evening.

READ MORE: Canada’s winter forecast: The good news and the bad

Heavier snowfall is expected east of those regions with snowfall warnings in effect for tonight and Wednesday.

READ MORE: Winter storm threatens U.S. holiday travel

Environment Canada is advising motorists to be prepared for poor winter driving conditions tonight and into Wednesday morning.

–        With files from The Canadian Press