Toronto, GTA under special weather statement ahead of dramatic temperature drop today

Toronto and the GTA remain under a special weather statement Wednesday in anticipation of a sharp cold front that will see double-digit temperatures plummet.

Tuesday saw a daytime high of 11 C at Pearson Airport and the CityNews 680 guaranteed high for Wednesday is 14 C, but Environment Canada warns a fierce temperature change will soon put an end to the warmth, bringing with it the chance of a flash and hard freeze.

“A strong cold front is expected to track through southern Ontario on Wednesday, causing temperatures to drop dramatically along with the development of strong northwesterly winds gusting to 70 or 80 km/h for much of the afternoon and evening,” Canada’s weather agency says. “

By around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, temperatures in Toronto are forecasted to drop to -1 C, with it feeling more like -5. By midnight, it’s expected to drop to -5 C, feeling closer to -16 with the windchill.

“The sudden temperature drop may lead to icy surfaces as temperatures fall below the freezing mark through the day,” Environment Canada adds. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.”

CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor echoes the warning from the weather agency, saying GTA drivers should brace for icy and windy conditions for the afternoon and evening commutes.

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There is also a snow squall watch in place for the northern reaches of the GTA, including Newmarket, Georgina and Uxbridge, with the potential for up to 20 cm of snow in these areas from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Possible 20-degree drop in some Ontario regions

Locals woke up to warmer-than-usual and spring-like temperatures on Tuesday, with morning sunshine that made way for heavy bouts of rain. Toronto and the GTA also saw thunderstorms, with some areas, including Mississauga, seeing intense storms with lightning pass through the region.

Despite the clouds and rain, it has been relatively sunny throughout February, a contrast to a gloomier month of January in southern Ontario.

To put Tuesday’s mild temperatures into perspective, Windsor became the first place in Ontario this year to reach the 20 C mark. But the end of the week will be nothing like how it started, with the daytime high on Thursday expected to be around -3 C.

“The spring-like fight between warm and cold airmasses is on, with the cold taking over Wednesday afternoon,” said CityNews meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai. “With rapidly falling temperatures, there is the potential for any standing water to ice over Wednesday night into Thursday morning.”

Mother Nature will put another wild spin on the end of the week and the month of February, as temperatures are forecasted to increase again to usher in March with a potential high of 8 C with plenty of sunshine for Toronto on Friday.

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