Environment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime

Key Takeaways:

• A multi-day winter storm is expected to hit five provinces this week, dumping up to 30 centimetres of snow in some areas.
• The border cities of Sarnia and Windsor, both in southwestern Ontario, are expected to receive the most snowfall in Canada and their surrounding areas.

This week, a multi-day winter storm is predicted to hit five provinces, with up to 30 centimeters of snow expected in some areas.

Winter storm cautions have been issued for much of Southern Ontario, Southern Quebec, and the 3 Maritime provinces by Environment Canada.

“Right now, we’re seeing such a cold front moving throughout the Great Lakes space, and what we’re seeing right now is a band of rain showers combined with some snow out towards places of northeastern Ontario,” Environment Canada meteorologist Daniel Liota advised CTVNews.ca over the phone on Tuesday.

The border cities of Sarnia, as well as Windsor in southwestern Ontario, as well as their surrounding areas, are expected to receive the most snowfall in Canada. On Wednesday morning and Thursday night, these communities could receive 20 to 30 cm of snow, with winds gusting to 50 to 60 km/h.

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“In heavy snow, visibility can be drastically reduced at times. Turn your headlights on and keep a safe following distance if visibility is reduced while driving. “Environment Canada issues a warning.

Snowfall in Toronto is expected to range between 10 and 20 cm. Environment Canada predicts rain showers mixed with snow in the Greater Toronto Area and southwestern Ontario on Wednesday morning, followed by snow as temperatures fall below 0 C in the afternoon.

Depending on how cold it gets, other parts of Ontario, including Ottawa, could see freezing rain in addition to snowfall on Wednesday morning. The nation’s capital is expected to receive up to 20 cm of snow.

Many of these towns are still dealing with the aftermath of a massive winter storm that dumped up to 55 cm of snow 2 weeks ago. However, unlike the previous storm, which saw up to 10 cm of snowfall each hour, this one will only see one to three.

“The previous system dumped massive amounts of snow in a matter of 9 hours or so. This one will only be light to moderate snow for 24 hours, possibly a little longer in some areas, “Liota stated.

“That should give road crews and ploughs enough time to keep up with the situation. It is unlikely that a large amount of snow will fall in a single day.”

This winter storm, according to Liota, is caused by two low-pressure systems moving northeastward from the southern United States.

“There are two distinct systems. So, the first one comes out of the Texas area, and the second one follows closely behind, “He went on to explain.

However, the path of the second low-pressure system remains unknown, according to Liota. On Thursday, the Golden Horseshoe and eastern Ontario could see even more snow, depending on how the system moves.

“At this time, the snowfall forecast for Thursday is still fairly uncertain,” he said.

These systems are expected to move eastward, affecting Quebec and the Maritime provinces. According to Environment Canada, snowfall in Montreal could reach 15 cm from Thursday to Friday morning, based on how the low-pressure system moves.

Environment Canada has issued special weather warnings for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and  Prince Edward Island. The storm is expected to hit these provinces on Thursday night and Friday, though there’s no word on how much snow will fall.

These systems are expected to disproportionately affect the United States. According to the National Weather Service in the United States, snowfall in Midwestern states like Illinois and Indiana could reach 45 cm by Friday. According to forecasters, a swath of heavy ice is also expected to stretch from north Texas to Ohio.

Source: CTV News