10-30+ cm: Southern Ontario snowsqualls to bring hazardous travel, copious snow
Southern Ontario's snowbelt communities will see significant, lake-effect snowsqualls this week, followed by a blast of Arctic air that will send temperatures plummeting.
The lake-effect machine in the Great Lakes region is kicking into high gear once again, with copious amounts of snowfall expected for many of the traditional snowbelt communities for this week.
Some areas could see 10-30+ cm of snowfall through Tuesday. That’s not the only hazard. Dangerously cold temperatures are in the forecast across Ontario as frigid Arctic air descends on the region by next weekend. Northern parts of the province could approach -40°C.
DON’T MISS: Second half of January looking much colder across Canada
For areas seeing snowsqualls, visibility will likely be suddenly reduced to near zero at times amid wind gusts of 60-90 km/h in spots. Blowing snow, reduced visibility and a higher chance of travel delays and road closures are possible under the worst squall conditions.
Snowsqualls threaten travel in southern Ontario
Southwesterly winds blowing across the Great Lakes during the day Sunday will give rise to snowsqualls along the Bruce Peninsula, Georgian Bay. Some areas could see more than 30 cm of snowfall.
A system arriving Sunday night into Monday will bring widespread light snow to the region. Lake enhancement is likely, leading to potentially hazardous driving conditions in spots.
Kingston to Cobourg along the 401, including Prince Edward County and Oshawa, will see 10-20+ cm of snow and reduced visibility from the band of snow expected to develop here.
The Bruce Peninsula and the shores of Georgian Bay will also see a sustained snowsquall drape across the region, potentially producing up to 10-20+ cm of accumulation in spots.
Another band of lake-effect snow will spread over the north shore of Lake Erie toward Niagara Falls and Welland, and Fort Erie, where localized totals of 10-20 cm are possible. Blowing snow likely here with sustained winds of 30-40 km/h off of Lake Ontario.
Peak wind gusts through Monday:
Lake Huron and Georgian Bay: 70-90 km/h
Lake Erie: 70-90 km/h
Lake Ontario: 60-80 km/h
By Monday evening, more traditional bands of lake-effect snow will develop as west-northwesterly winds sweep across the snowbelt communities.
With the west-northwest wind direction, areas downwind of Georgian Bay need to pay particularly close attention.
Dangerously cold temperatures likely next weekend
A slug of truly frigid air is likely to arrive in the Great Lakes region by next weekend.
Daytime highs could struggle to warm past the minus teens on Saturday for much of Ontario. Temperatures are likely to remain below seasonal for the remainder of January.
How cold could it get? Temperatures may reach -40°C for pockets of northern Ontario during the worst of the cold snap, with widespread temperatures as low as -30°C in northeastern Ontario.