After a weekend of snowy weather to the north, it’s finally southern Ontario’s turn for some winter weather.
Lake-effect snow squalls brought over 100 cm of snow to parts of Cottage Country and the snowbelts over the weekend, leaving major highways closed and municipalities, such as Gravenhurst, in a state of emergency.
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Meanwhile, the weekend for the rest of southern and eastern Ontario was treated to only a little, if any, snow and chilly temperatures.
But, as we head into the final month of 2024, it’s finally time for winter to make its way to the rest of the province.
The difference in air temperatures over the Great Lakes and over land will serve to enhance the snowfall as it moves inland off of the lakes on Wednesday. This will also result in bursts of heavy snow and embedded snow squalls, making for a messy and dangerous situation.
The snow will begin early Wednesday morning across southern and eastern Ontario, just in time to impact morning commutes. All major routes will be impacted by the snow, but commuters in the Niagara region, as well as along Highway 401 east of Toronto up to Kingston, will be at an increased risk of significant snowfall accumulations and whiteout conditions.
Snowfall rates of 2-5 cm/h in these areas, paired with 50-70+ km/h wind gusts across southern Ontario, will rapidly deteriorate road conditions and impact the Wednesday and Thursday commutes.
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Historically, the first major snowfall of the season leads to increased accidents and traffic slow-downs, so folks in these specific areas should consider working from home and avoiding travel if possible.
We’re looking at 5-10+ cm around the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area, with the lake enhancement effect raising accumulations up to 10-20+ cm in parts of the Niagara region, as well as around Coburg and eastward into Ottawa.
Parts of Cottage Country will also not be spared from this system as snow will be coming off of Lake Michigan and the Georgian Bay.
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Temperatures hovering around freezing will also make the snow wet in nature, which could increase the chance for localized power outages.
The snowy and blustery conditions will continue into the Thursday morning commute.
Bursts of heavy snow and snow squalls will continue through Niagara and in the snowbelts following the system’s exit in the morning.
Snow will continue to fall over the Ottawa region through Thursday afternoon before tapering off heading into the evening.
Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across Ontario.
