Spring may have officially arrived, but most Canadians can expect wintry weather this week as temperatures drop and parts of the country are blanketed in snow.
According to CTV Your Morning meteorologist Kelsey McEwen, a sharp cold front will bring lake-effect snow to Ontario, as well as severe weather, gusty winds and plummeting temperatures.
Environment Canada has already issued Snow squall warnings and watches covering a large portion of southern Ontario, including cities and towns such as Barrie, Orillia, Tobermory, Haliburton, Goodrich, Stratford, London, Bracebridge, Huntsville and Parry Sound. Some areas could see up to 35 centimeters of snow accumulating by Thursday afternoon.
A second system will arrive Friday and into the weekend, bringing measurable snowfall to major cities like Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal and then a mix of rain and snow to Atlantic Canada.
So much for Groundhog Day predictions for an early spring!
A cold front is also expected to bring heavy snowfall to southern and central Alberta on Tuesday, including Calgary, Drumheller, Medicine Hat, Red Deer and Banff and Jasper national parks. While most areas will see 10 to 15 cm of snow, some locations could see as much as 30 cm by Friday morning, prompting multiple reports from Environment Canada Snowfall warnings.
In Atlantic Canada, rain, snow and gusty winds are forecast for some locations, bringing more weather Environment Canada warnings. Parts of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia could see damaging winds of up to 100 km/h Thursday morning and afternoon, while Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula is expected to see 25 to 35 millimeters of rain between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. In Quebec, parts of the Gaspé Peninsula could see 15 to 20 cm of snow on Wednesday.
Temperatures will also be freezing across central and northern Canada, where they are currently at -15°C in Winnipeg, -16°C in Saskatoon and -30°C in Yellowknife. Warmer but rainy conditions are expected in and around Vancouver, where temperatures could reach a high of 12°C on Wednesday.
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