It’s “increasingly likely” that the Toronto area will see a “disruptive” snowstorm at the beginning of next week, Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell says.
Farnell said a major storm is intensifying this weekend as it moves from the Florida Panhandle up the east coast and while there is still uncertainty in how exactly it will track, it’s looking more likely that the Greater Toronto Area will get hit with snowfall starting overnight Sunday and continuing through much of Monday.
“What makes the snow forecast extra complicated is the sharp gradient on the back side of this system,” he said.
“Our latest forecast is for amounts of 5 to 10 cm for much of the GTA, but locally higher near the lake. Areas like the Niagara Region and eastern Ontario will see significantly more snow, with amounts over 30 cm likely.”
Farnell noted that the storm is still a few days away and a small shift west could bring higher totals to the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas.
He also said that winds gusting to 60 km/h will accompany the snowfall, reducing visibility.
“Monday is also back-to-school day for kids across the province, but parents should be prepared for a possible snow day or an extra day of at-home learning,” Farnell said.
He said areas along the east coast can expect “significant disruptions” with heavy rain, ice, snow, and damaging winds from the system.
Meanwhile, Environment Canada has issued an extreme cold warning for parts of southern Ontario, including the GTA.
The weather agency said the GTA can expect wind chill values near -30 overnight Friday into Saturday morning.