Bitter cold snaps back: Toronto, GTA facing brutal -30 wind chills this weekend
Posted February 5, 2026 7:12 am.
Last Updated February 5, 2026 7:24 am.
Toronto is bracing for a sharp plunge back into deep winter as a surge of Arctic air and powerful northwest winds sweep across the region Friday night into Saturday, sending temperatures and wind chills to their lowest levels of the season.
After a relatively calm Thursday with a mix of clear breaks, cloud and the chance of morning flurries, conditions will deteriorate quickly heading into the weekend. Daytime highs near –4°C will give way to a cloudy evening and light overnight snow as temperatures fall to –8°C.
The real shift arrives on Friday.
Forecasters expect strong northwest winds of up to 70 km/h, a blast of cold air that will push wind chills into dangerous territory.
Light snow and scattered flurries early in the day could bring 2–4 cm of accumulation, but the bigger story is the temperature crash: a daytime high of –2°C followed by a nighttime low near –20°C, with wind chills approaching –30.
Weekend details
By Saturday morning, the GTA will be firmly locked in the deep freeze. Sunshine will return, but it won’t offer much relief. Wind chills will again hover near –30, and the daytime high will struggle to reach –11°C. Winds from the southwest at 20–40 km/h will keep the air feeling even colder.
Sunday brings a slight moderation, though still below seasonal norms. Expect a mix of sun and cloud with a chance of flurries, southwest winds of 20–40 km/h, a high near –7°C, and an overnight low of –14°C.
The good news is the extreme cold will likely be short‑lived. More seasonal temperatures are expected to return through next week, offering a break from the bitter Arctic blast.
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