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Up to 15 cm of snow coming to Toronto this weekend

After chilly temperatures today, Toronto looks set to get a dose of wintry weather this weekend.

A system coming north from the U.S. is forecast to dump between 10 and 15 cm of snow on the city on Saturday, Environment Canada says.

The weather agency has put all of southern Ontario under a special advisory, with some areas expected to see even more snow accumulation.

"After the bulk of the snow is done falling there will still likely be some bad travel conditions due to reduced visibility in blowing snow," said CBC meteorologist Colette Kennedy.

When will the snow start?

Kennedy says the GTA could see snowfall as early as 7 a.m.

Gerald Chang, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the snow will "quickly intensify" in the afternoon, and with winds gusting up to 50 km/h there could be some tough travel conditions.

"Certainly be careful out there if you're going somewhere," Chang says.

The system has sucked up warm air and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, he explains. By about 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. Saturday, temperatures are expected to rise slightly above freezing, meaning the snow could turn to rain for several hours.

There's a chance of some flurries Sunday, as temperatures go back down below freezing.

Today, Toronto will see a high of –8 C, but it will feel more like –23 in the morning and –11 in the afternoon with wind chill.

Take solace, though, in the fact that the forecast for Toronto is not anything like what other parts of the country are experiencing.

Extreme cold — as in –25 C kind of cold — has been gripping Alberta all week. Meanwhile, St. John's could see up to 70 cm of snow and 150 km/h wiinds when a blizzard hits later today.