6 Videos Of Ontario's Wild Snowstorm That Will Make You Want To Stay Inside For Good
It was like being inside a giant snowglobe.
A snowy Ontario street. Right: A snow creation.
If you're someone that needs white on the ground to get into the holiday spirit, then Ontario's snowstorm on Thursday probably made you feel all giddy inside — assuming, of course, that you didn't have to travel.
Heavy snowfall swept across parts of the province on December 15, offering residents a chance to enjoy a more picturesque winter or snowy nightmare depending on which camp they belong to.
\u201cTypical Ottawa snow day. Pedestrians? Ottawa doesn't have pedestrians. We're a car city, @_MarkSutcliffe.\n\nPlease help us, @ArielTroster \ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffc\u201d— Dustin Gavin (@Dustin Gavin) 1671201896
Residents of the Ottawa Valley seemed stoked to wake up in a bonafide winter wonderland, despite the fact that most of their cars got totally buried.
\u201cWelcome to Canada! :) Our first big snowstorm of the season! #ottawa #snowstorm #snowfall #winter\u201d— Joanna D'Angelo (@Joanna D'Angelo) 1671196370
Drivers stuck in the Greater Toronto Area's (GTA) wintry traffic were probably less happy about being suddenly transported to the north pole, with things getting especially hectic during the evening hours.
\u201cMake your own road kinda conditions on the 407 near Ajax right now #ONStorm still streaming: https://t.co/wj3hFEbTJp\u201d— NZP Chasers (@NZP Chasers) 1671149686
While, snow fell across most of southern Ontario on Thursday, The Weather Network (TWN) noted that lakeside cities such as Toronto also saw a lot of rain, which explains why the 6ix looks more grey and slushy than like a snow globe.
\u201cNo snow \u2744\ufe0f, just rain \u2614 at King and Church in downtown Toronto. The snowplow is searching for snow! #ONStorm\u201d— Anita Windisman (@Anita Windisman) 1671136091
"Temperatures did not support the snow as expected," said Nicole Karkic, a TWN meteorologist. "It was above freezing for Toronto through much of the day and evening and the milder air pushed further north than forecast."
\u201cAccident Hwy401 E @ Exit 157 \ud83d\udee34\ufe0f\u20e30\ufe0f\u20e31\ufe0f\u20e3\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 \n.\n#hwy401 #ONStorm #ONHwys #OPP #TrafficAlert #Accident #snowfall #snowstorm #TruckDriver #trucking #Roadsafety\u201d— 401_da_sarpanch (@401_da_sarpanch) 1671108352
Areas north of the GTA recorded around 5 to 10 centimetres of snow, with as much as 25 centimetres possible for eastern Ontario. Accumulations are expected to grow on Friday.
\u201cDrive With Caution.\ud83d\udccdHwy401 West @ Exit 312. \ud83d\udee34\ufe0f\u20e30\ufe0f\u20e31\ufe0f\u20e3\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\n.\n#HWY401 #ONStorm #ONHwys #OPP #snowstorm #WeatherUpdate #TrafficAlert #Toronto #Guelph #TruckDriver #Roadsafety\u201d— 401_da_sarpanch (@401_da_sarpanch) 1671136081
As for what the future holds, experts warn residents to keep an eye on a pattern of southwesterly winds that will lead to bands of lake-effect snow developing off of Lake Erie and Lake Huron.
"These bands will ramp up on Friday evening, affecting the Niagara Peninsula as well as portions of the Huron shores," TWN concludes.