Toronto is about to get walloped with a major winter storm rolling in this weekend that's bringing blizzard-like conditions and heavy snowfall to the province.
Things will start getting messy when the storm kicks off on Friday evening, with strong winds and dangerous road conditions predicted, so you may want to reconsider any travel plans.
With whiteout conditions and even "thundersnow" in the forecast, here's how the winter storm is set to impact Toronto.
According to The Weather Network, the snow will begin in southern Ontario by Friday afternoon and will spread into the Greater Toronto Area by Friday evening.
Heavy snow and wind gusts of 60-80 kilometres per hour will significantly reduce visibility for all roads in southern Ontario late Friday and overnight making for dangerous road conditions, so avoid travelling at this time.
Motorists and commuters in and around the GTA are advised to consider leaving work early on Friday due to the storm.
"Low visibility will make driving hazardous if not impossible during the storm," says TWN.
Snow will accumulate quickly, with snowfall rates of 3-5 centimetres per hour. Toronto is expected to see between 5 and 10 centimetres of snow, while surrounding areas like Mississauga and Brampton are predicted to see up to 15 and 25 centimetres, respectively, so be prepared to shovel.
Happy Friday!\nWe\xe2\x80\x99re anticipating 5-10 cm of snow this evening with strong winds. Roads have been prepped and we\xe2\x80\x99re ready.\nAs a reminder, here\xe2\x80\x99s what and when we start to plow. \xf0\x9f\x91\x87\nFind where the plows & salt trucks are at https://t.co/llZIUAmi8v— (@)
There's also the possibility of "thundersnow," a rare type of thunderstorm that combines snowfall with thunder and lightning.
Toronto is under a winter weather travel advisory, with Environment Canada warning of heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts creating reduced visibility.
"The snow will quickly become heavy at times, before transitioning to periods of rain tonight or early Saturday morning as temperatures rise above freezing," says the national weather agency.
"Avoid travel if possible. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas."
The system is expected to switch to rain in the GTA overnight. Saturday is expected to see periods of rain changing to periods of snow in the morning and local blowing snow early in the afternoon, according to Environment Canada.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
