'Avoid travel if possible': Far-reaching winter storm zooms in on Ontario
With only a few days left until the holiday weekend, preparations or adjustments for travel in southern Ontario should be made now, thanks to a mammoth winter storm set to move in at the worst time for driving -- putting millions at risk of being caught on the roads during the storm.
The multi-day event is expected to bring heavy snow, blustery, potentially damaging winds, a flash freeze, rain and even the risk of ice pellets. Plan accordingly.
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Winter storm watches and special weather statements are in place.
"The sheer size of this storm, the flash freeze potential and blizzard conditions with powerful winds and impressive snowfall totals are what has forecasters attention," says Kelly Sonnenburg, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
There are several major impacts that residents in the province should prepare for when it comes to this beast of a storm, including extremely dangerous driving conditions, power outages, damage to infrastructure due to high winds, flight cancellations and delays, as well as store and road closures.
Precipitation begins late Thursday
Early Thursday is the best opportunity to get any travel done and avoid major precipitation and impacts. The system will arrive in southern Ontario Thursday with a fairly light wintry mix of snow and rain.
Across northern and northeastern Ontario, snow will be spreading in through much of the day. As the centre of the low-pressure system approaches the Great Lakes, expect precipitation rates to increase through the evening and overnight.
During the transition from snow to rain Thursday overnight into Friday morning, there is a risk of freezing rain and ice pellets for many areas.
Friday flash freeze is possible
Temperatures will start in the low single digits, before cold air begins to get wrapped in behind the low, then temperatures take a dive.
Wet surfaces from the rain in southwestern Ontario could ice over and become quite slick as rain transitions to snow and a flash freeze is possible.
For the Greater Toronto Area and southern Ontario, rain will transition to snow as temperatures fall through late morning, lunchtime and beyond. Snow accumulations will not be major for the GTA, however, it will be the winds that will have the greatest impact.
Strong wind gusts will also be a risk on Friday as the low-level jet stream parks itself over southern Ontario. Wind gusts will intensify throughout the day with lakeshore gusts along Lake Huron, Erie and Ontario potentially exceeding 90 km/h. Widespread wind gusts of 70-80+ km/h can be expected across the rest of southern Ontario.
The impact of these winds include possible power outages, blizzard conditions and widespread whiteouts within the snow falling across the region.
“Travel will be extremely dangerous and even impossible for some areas,” says Sonnenburg. Large waves can be expected for communities along the lakeshore and ice buildup along the shoreline with powerful southwest winds is possible.
WATCH: What is a flash freeze, and why is it so dangerous?
Powerful winds continue Saturday (Christmas Eve)
Although widespread snowfall rates are expected to decrease Saturday morning, many of us won’t notice due to the powerful winds which will continue to howl across the region. There will be intense lake-enhanced snow squalls that will target several areas of southern Ontario, including the Snowbelts.
These squalls will be pretty significant for communities south and east of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay with widespread closures almost a guarantee as winds continue to blow 80-100 km/h. These regions could see 50-75 cm of snow by the time it concludes.
Conditions start to improve Sunday (Christmas Day)
For major population regions in the province, including the GTA, conditions will have dramatically improved as the system will have lifted north and east.
“Snow squalls will still remain a threat to the snowbelts and some areas along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and at times these squalls will meander and push through many areas of southern Ontario,” says Sonnenburg.
Check the forecast if you plan to travel on Christmas Day to see if there is any chance of encountering snow squalls that will continue through the day, but wind down into Boxing Day.
WATCH: What you need to have prepared in the car as a holiday storm targets Ontario
Thumbnail courtesy of Shutterstock.
Check back for the latest on the forecast across southern Ontario.
