Heavy snow, gusty winds and ice accumulation on exposed surfaces could make for hazardous travel in the area during the storm. MUST SEE: A blizzard and tropical system set to collide over Eastern Canada
Thursday through Saturday: Strong winter storm spreads heavy snow and ice
By Thursday afternoon, the rain will change to all snow in northwestern Ontario and freezing rain and snow spells for parts of the northeast.
The heaviest band of snow is forecast through Lake Nipigon, Geraldton, Kapuskasing and western Quebec, where 20-40 cm could fall by Saturday morning.
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Heavy snowfall will also target southern Manitoba, where snowfall warnings are in effect for southeastern parts of the province for a chance of 10-20 cm by the end of the system. The communities of Killarney, Morden, Winkler and Steinbach are included in the snowfall warnings.
Extensive blowing and drifting snow is also possible with the system’s accompanying winds, which threatens whiteout and possible road closures.
“Rapid accumulation of snow will make travel difficult,” says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in a snowfall warning issued for parts of the region. “Visibility can be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, sidewalks and parking lots can become difficult to navigate due to accumulated snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, pay attention to tail lights ahead and ready to stop.”
The threat of freezing rain will be south of the heaviest snow area, bringing the biggest risks to Wawa, Chapleau and Timmins. Freezing rain will begin to develop Thursday afternoon and continue into Friday before ending Friday night.
There is the potential for some areas to reach or even exceed two centimeters of ice accumulation on untreated surfaces. This will also create hazardous road conditions, especially as it is the first major freezing rain event of the season.
“Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve,” the ECCC warns. “Watch out for branches or power lines that could snap under the weight of the ice. There could be outages.”
Additional snow showers are expected early next week as unseasonably cold temperatures are expected to prevail through late November.
The warming trend across the south will continue to bring daytime highs in the mid- to upper-teens across much of southern Ontario through Friday, but a significant pattern change is expected to begin this weekend as well.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across Ontario.
