Snow gusts, dangerous driving hazard continue overnight for Ontario
It’s a weekend in southern Ontario as people across the province spend the last hours of winter dodging areas of poor visibility during heavy snow squalls.
Dangerous journeys are likely to remain as these blizzards greet motorists. As such, anyone planning to head out on a Saturday night or early Sunday morning should exercise caution and be aware of rapidly changing conditions.
MUST SEE: The warmest temperature in Canada in 2023 could arrive this weekend
Snow gusts continue throughout southern Ontario into early Sunday
Cold winds blowing across the ice-free lakes combined with a cool upper-level trough over southern Ontario resulted in waves of powerful snow squalls that crept across the region on Saturday.
Snow gust and wake warnings are in place for areas near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, extending east into parts of Cottage Country.
DON’T MISS: Ontario just experienced its darkest winter in 73 years
The heaviest snow and potential for near whiteout conditions will fall in the typical snow belt regions along Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, and potentially reaching parts of Cottage Country as well.
Traveling will be particularly difficult in these areas as conditions can change quickly from clear skies to near zero visibility over short distances.
“Non-essential travel is discouraged as visibility is sometimes suddenly reduced to near zero,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in its warning. “Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.”
Aggregations should generally be around 5-15 cm downwind of the lakes in most areas, with locally higher totals possible near the Huron coast.
Snow gusts should turn into flurries by Sunday morning. However, blustery winds will continue throughout Sunday, with widespread gusts of 40-60km/h spreading across the region. Higher gusts are possible on the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.
Beyond that system, Ontario will be greeted by nicer weather as the new workweek begins, with calmer conditions and near-seasonal temperatures expected when astronomical spring arrives on Monday. Forecasters are watching the potential for another system to arrive in the second half of the week.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest weather conditions across Ontario.
WATCH: Darkest winter since 1950 for Great Lakes could take a toll on your health
Click here to watch the video
