After waking up to what felt more like a spring day in southern Ontario on Wednesday, temperatures took a fast and steady tumble as a strong cold front moved through the region.
Winds picked up and bursts of snow whipped in, prompting widespread winter weather travel advisories as conditions deteriorated quickly Wednesday night.
A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. @weathernetwork #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/VYjpTXxurY
A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. Mark Robinson on Twitter: “A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. @weathernetwork #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/VYjpTXxurY / Twitter” Mark Robinson on Twitter: “A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. @weathernetwork #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/VYjpTXxurY / Twitter” Mark Robinson on Twitter: “A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. @weathernetwork #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/VYjpTXxurY / Twitter”
— Mark Robinson (@StormhunterTWN) Mark Robinson on Twitter: “A quiet street in the midst of the snow. Lake effect precip in Guelph tonight. @weathernetwork #ONStorm pic.twitter.com/VYjpTXxurY / Twitter”
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As temperatures continued to drop during the night, the standing water from the rain earlier in the day combined with freshly fallen snow, froze roads and created icy conditions throughout the central and western parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
This caused many accidents, delays, and treacherous conditions, with poor travel still reported early Thursday morning.
BLACK ICE* If you’re headed out tonight, areas that have seen heavy flurries this evening have had melted snow turn to ice resulting in extremely dangerous road conditions. Numerous collisions across the GTA and westward. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/IpZMLIMm2m
*BLACK ICE*
If you’re headed out tonight, areas that have seen heavy flurries this evening have had melted snow turn to ice resulting in extremely dangerous road conditions. Numerous collisions across the GTA and westward. Stormwx1 on Twitter: “*BLACK ICE* If you’re headed out tonight, areas that have seen heavy flurries this evening have had melted snow turn to ice resulting in extremely dangerous road conditions. Numerous collisions across the GTA and westward. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/IpZMLIMm2m / Twitter” Stormwx1 on Twitter: “*BLACK ICE* If you’re headed out tonight, areas that have seen heavy flurries this evening have had melted snow turn to ice resulting in extremely dangerous road conditions. Numerous collisions across the GTA and westward. #onstorm pic.twitter.com/IpZMLIMm2m / Twitter”
Another wind storm looms for the weekend ahead
Winds will ease and temperatures will warm slightly for the second half of Thursday, with a fairly quiet Friday before a rinse and repeat system will sweep across the region again giving more rain, gusty winds and a transition to snow flurries and ice through Sunday.
“Winds will really pick up Saturday morning and continue through the day,” warns Matt Grinter, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “Wind gusts will be very similar to the most recent system, with a widespread risk of 60-80 km/h inland, and 80-100 km/h gusts along the lake shores.”
Winds will ease Saturday overnight, but as temperatures drop, there could be some flurries in behind the front leading to another chance of icy conditions and dangerous travel.
Seasonal temperatures and fair conditions return early next week, but forecasters will be watching the potential for another Colorado low for the mid-week mark. A more consistently cold pattern is expected after Dec. 7.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates in southern Ontario.
