Winter storm warning issued for Toronto with 10 to 25 cm of snow possible by Saturday
Posted January 11, 2024 4:04 pm.
Last Updated January 12, 2024 11:55 pm.
Winter storm warnings are in place for Toronto and across most of southern Ontario as a system bringing strong wind and blowing snow barrels towards the city in time for the weekend.
Toronto and much of the GTA are currently under storm warnings that stretch east to Ottawa. Environment Canada’s advisory is now calling for 10 to 25 cm of snowfall with strong wind gusts and blowing snow resulting in reduced visibility. Motorists are being advised to avoid travel if possible.
“Snow [will be] heavy at times and is expected to transition to periods of rain tonight as temperatures rise above freezing,” the weather agency said.
“Strong southeasterly winds gusting up to 70 km/h will combine with this heavy snow to cause significantly reduced visibility at times.”
A rain-snow mix started to fall in the city and in areas closer to the lake just after 4 p.m. on Friday, with the heavier snowfall peaking between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and the possibility of thunder.
“Snow could be so intense tonight that I wouldn’t be surprised if we get some thundersnow,” CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor said.
The snow will change over to rain around midnight as temperatures rise to 5 C. The rain could change back to snow on Saturday, with another 2 to 4 cm possible as the temperature falls back down to -2 C for the afternoon.
“In the wake of this system, much colder Arctic air will become established across the region,” Environment Canada added.
“A multi-day lake effect snow event is expected for locations east of the Great Lakes bringing additional snowfall accumulations to some communities. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow.”
EXTENDED FORECAST
Toronto saw just over 5 cm of snow on Tuesday, but it was quickly followed by rising temperatures and more than 25 millimetres of rain during a wet, slushy storm that impacted the afternoon commute.
Many residents woke up to a few centimetres of snow on Thursday morning, but it quickly melted due to daytime temperatures hovering just above freezing.
The storm heading into the weekend will also come with a significant temperature drop that will stick around for much of next week. A high of -6 C is expected on Sunday, and the forecasted wind chill on late Sunday into Monday morning will be around -18.
The current conditions and extended forecast for Toronto can be found here.
