Advertisement

Prepare now: A major winter storm is on southern Ontario’s doorstep

Prepare now: A major winter storm is on southern Ontario’s doorstep
Prepare now: A major winter storm is on southern Ontario’s doorstep

Folks across southern Ontario should prepare now for a significant winter storm set to arrive in the region on Friday.

Ample moisture flowing into a vigorous low-pressure system will send a shield of heavy snow over the area to close out the week.

This storm will arrive Friday and last into Saturday, possibly bringing the season’s heaviest snowfall totals to some parts of southern Ontario.

Visit our Complete Guide to Spring 2023 for an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!

We’re watching the progress of a powerful Texas low developing across the southern United States this week.

Ingredients are in place for this system to strengthen in a hurry. The intense dynamics and vast reserve of moisture will spawn a dangerous severe thunderstorm outbreak across parts of the southern states on Thursday and Friday.

The same energy feeding that rough weather south of the border will put southern Ontario squarely beneath a heavy band of snow that could drop some of the steepest totals we’ve seen in some communities so far this season. Areas of 20-30 cm of snow are possible.

Friday starts fine, but goes downhill quickly

The storm’s progression will hit a familiar note with some of southern Ontario’s previous impactful storms. The Friday morning commute will likely unfold just fine, but the evening commute will be a chore at best and dangerous at worst.

ONTiming
ONTiming

We’ll see this low-pressure system advance toward the Great Lakes through the first half of the day Friday. Precipitation will begin pushing into southwestern Ontario by the early afternoon hours, steadily spreading into the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) by the evening commute.

SPRING OUTLOOK: Spring sits on the sidelines with winter’s wild ride to the finish line

The bulk of the precipitation we’ll see from this system will fall as snow—a change from the region’s recent systems—but warmer temperatures in the southwest will make this mostly a rain event there, and marginal temperatures could force some mixing around the Niagara Peninsula. Any northward nudge in the track of the low could nudge that mixing a little farther north.

WATCH: Why Ontario should pay attention to this incoming storm

Click here to view the video

Blizzard conditions, power outages possible

Conditions will rapidly deteriorate as night settles in, with the heaviest snowfall and gustiest winds arriving through the overnight hours into early Saturday morning.

Winds could gust to 60-70+ km/h during the storm. Heavy snowfall combined with strong winds will lead to low visibility during the overnight hours, potentially rising to the level of blizzard conditions for a time. Travel will be difficult and dangerous at the height of the storm.

ONSnowWind
ONSnowWind

MUST SEE: Staying safe during a power outage

Temperatures hovering near the freezing mark will make this a heavy, wet snowfall. Gusty winds and the weight of this wet snow on trees and power lines will lead to an increased risk for power outages throughout the area. Remain mindful of trees and tree branches that could fall during the storm.

Snow lingers into Saturday for the cleanup

The centre of this impending storm will track south of southern Ontario, and its track will allow the band of heaviest snow to crawl along much of the most heavily populated corridor in the country.

We’ll see a hefty blanket of snow fall from the GTA into eastern Ontario. The heaviest accumulations will pile up where the heart of this band lingers the longest, while the potential for mixing could limit ultimate accumulations south of the GTA.

ONSnow
ONSnow

All told, we could see some areas hit 20-30 cm of snow across parts of southern Ontario by the time snowfall winds down on Saturday morning.

Light snow will linger throughout southern Ontario through the first half of Saturday as the system pushes east into New England.

Beyond this storm, temperatures will warm up a touch heading into the first weekend of March. Daytime highs approaching the mid-single digits will aid with cleanup efforts, though black ice will be a concern each night as lows drop below freezing.

Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest on this major storm threatening southern Ontario.