Ontario's weather forecast calls for up to 40 cm as snow squalls bring blizzard conditions

Widespread snowfall is also forecast in Toronto and the GTA this week.

ontario house with a red door with accumulated and blowing snow

House in Ontario during a snowstorm.

Senior Writer

This forecast of Ontario's weather has called for up to 40 centimetres of snow because of squalls.

Blizzard conditions and blowing snow are expected in parts of southern Ontario, which will make travel "hazardous."

The Weather Network said a multi-day winter weather event will impact southern Ontario from Monday, January 19, to Wednesday, January 21.

A weather system from the Prairies is bringing snowfall to most areas in the Great Lakes region, with intense snow squalls and strong winds on Monday and Tuesday.

That is expected to cause "hazardous travel conditions" like near-zero visibility on the roads.

Places near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay will experience "prolonged impacts," including winds gusting 70 to 90 kilometres per hour and snowfall amounts between 20 and 40 centimetres.

Anyone in areas downwind of Georgian Bay is being told to stay "alert" because more snow squalls could drop an additional 15 to 25 centimetres by Tuesday morning.

Also, heavy snow is expected from Kingston to Cobourg and then to Oshawa along Highway 401, which will "significantly impact visibility."

Prince Edward County is forecast to get wind gusts of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour and 20 to 30 centimetres of snow.

Blowing snow will continue into Tuesday morning before gradually easing through the day.

Environment Canada has issued blizzard warnings for:

  • Bruce Peninsula - Sauble Beach - Tobermory
  • Goderich - Bluewater - Southern Huron County
  • Hanover - Dundalk - Southern Grey County
  • Listowel - Milverton - Northern Perth County
  • Mount Forest - Arthur - Northern Wellington County
  • Owen Sound - Blue Mountains - Northern Grey County
  • Picton - Sandbanks Park
  • Saugeen Shores - Kincardine - Southern Bruce County
  • Stratford - Mitchell - Southern Perth County
  • Wingham - Blyth - Northern Huron County

There are also snow squall warnings and blowing snow advisories in effect for parts of southern Ontario, including Newmarket, Uxbridge, Orillia, Caledon, Orangeville, Kitchener, Guelph, Sarnia, Windsor, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Peterborough, and Kingston.

Another weather system will bring widespread snowfall to southern Ontario, with five to 10 centimetres of snow expected in Toronto and the GTA on Wednesday.

Then, The Weather Network said that "dangerous cold" is forecast to take over by the weekend.

As arctic air settles over the Great Lakes, daytime highs are expected to be in the minus teens for much of Ontario on Saturday.

This "frigid" air means temperatures will be below seasonal in Ontario for the rest of January.

Some parts of northern Ontario could get "extreme" cold with temperatures near -40 C during the cold snap!

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.