Southern Ontario residents are set to experience a “weather whiplash” this week, with an Arctic blast set to follow possible thunderstorms and double-digit high temperatures, Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell says.
“It will feel more like early April than late February over the next couple days, but a quick blast of Arctic air will bring us back to reality late Wednesday into Thursday,” Farnell said.
Much of southern Ontario is set to see double-digit highs on Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to south winds.
Early Tuesday morning across southwest Ontario, there will be a chance of thunderstorms with mostly showers during the day in the Greater Toronto Area, Farnell said.
“Another round of wet weather will be associated with the cold front and those storms could even be strong-to-severe for extreme southwest Ontario, including Windsor, very early Wednesday,” Farnell warned.
“Thunder and lightning are also possible with the rain for the rest of southern and eastern Ontario on Wednesday, but the storms won’t be as strong.”
Behind the front, as temperatures fall rapidly Wednesday afternoon, winds will pick up and could gust up to 80 km/h, Farnell said.
“There is even the potential for a flash freeze in some areas,” he said.
In colder air closer to Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, lake-effect snow will also quickly develop.
By Thursday morning, the wind chill is expected to range from -10 to -20.
But the cold weather won’t last long.
“Just like the last one, this Arctic blast won’t last with another warm-up bringing temperatures back into the positive double digits by this upcoming weekend,” Farnell said.
This February is on track to be the warmest ever in the City of Toronto, beating out 2017.
The first week of March could also bring record warmth.