Winter weather advisory issued for Toronto, Peel, Halton and Hamilton

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for Toronto, Peel Region, Halton Region and Hamilton with meteorologists calling for up to 10 centimetres by Wednesday night.

Global News meteorologist Ross Hull said an arctic air mass over Lake Ontario will result in a lake effect snow band early Wednesday.

“These lake effect squalls are highly localized weather events that seem to come out of nowhere and shift frequently, so be prepared for a sudden onset of reduced visibility and because it’s cold it will be fluffy snow that blows around easily,” he said.

“That band will likely start affecting areas such as Hamilton earlier on in the commute then the heavier snow will start to shift east towards Toronto by closer to 9 a.m., lasting into the early afternoon.

The Environment Canada advisory said snow is expected to intensify at times with “snowfall rates of several centimetres per hour likely.”

“Motorists are advised to exercise caution and be prepared for quickly changing driving conditions. Consider postponing non-essential travel as snow-covered and icy roads are expected,” it said.