A major pattern change will unfold this week in Canada.
While late December has featured very mild, even record-breaking, warm weather across Canada, winter is about to return as Arctic air has been unleashed once again.
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A cross-polar flow will deliver a few rounds of frigid weather to much of Eastern Canada and then plunge south across much of the U.S., even reaching deep into southern Texas and Florida with potential impacts to citrus crops. It will then spread east into Ontario and Quebec, eventually reaching Atlantic Canada.
The frigid polar air will take a trip across Canada this week.
Below-normal air will begin to seep into parts of Eastern Canada by Thursday, getting even colder by the weekend.
Expect below-freezing daytime highs at the end of the week, and a -10 or below wind chill on Saturday in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Even colder temperatures will be felt in Ottawa, Montreal, and much of Quebec, with -10°C daytime highs forecast on Sunday and Monday.
The cold air will mix with warmer Great Lakes waters and spark a significant, lake-effect snow once again in the snowbelt regions.
Bands of heavy, lake-effect snow squalls are expected for areas to the east and southeast of the Great Lakes. Substantial snow totals are likely, along with extensive blowing and drifting snow, starting late Wednesday and continuing into the weekend. Another long-duration, lake-effect event is likely during the second week of January.
The cold air is expected to reach the Maritimes at times, but it won’t hold on as tightly as their Ontario and Quebec counterparts in the East.
Colder-than-normal temperatures for parts of Eastern Canada are expected to dominate through at least mid-January.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates for Eastern Canada this week.
