Ontarians seeking reprieve from a weekend blast of wintry weather will have to wait as another system is threatening “near blizzard conditions” for some parts.
Global News meteorologist Anthony Farnell says an Alberta Clipper has been moving across the Great Lakes, bringing with it chilly winds and lake-effect snow squalls.
The system brought light snow on Wednesday, but come early Thursday morning, Farnell said winds will shift from the south to the northwest and the temperature will drop.
“Winds will remain brisk on Thursday, gusting over 50km/h at times,” he said.
“This wind, combined with snowfall rates as high as five-to-10 centimetres per hour will cause near blizzard conditions for some areas like London.”
With that warning in mind, the Thames Valley District School Board, London District Catholic School Board and Western University shut down their schools for the entire day Thursday.
The Ontario Provincial Police shut down Highway 402 in both directions from Highway 401 to Nauvoo Road due to whiteout and icy conditions. The 401 is also closed in both directions between Furnival and Currie roads in nearby in Elgin County.
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Farnell said more than 30 cm could fall in the London area by Friday morning. Environment Canada said that figure could reach 30 cm as well, but if the system changes, it could be as high as 60 cm come Friday morning.
“Locally higher snowfall accumulations exceeding 60 cm are possible especially if a single strong snow squall locks in for a few hours or more beginning Thursday morning,” the federal weather agency said Thursday.
“Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations.”
Farnell said snow squalls coming off of Georgian Bay will also reach into portions of the Greater Toronto Area Thursday into Friday. An additional several centimetres are likely to fall across even the northern parts of Toronto.
For areas adjacent to Georgian Bay, like Collingwood and Owen Sound, Environment Canada is warning of 30 to 50 cm of snow, with potentially zero visibility at times due to heavy and blowing snow.
Farnell added temperatures will be dropping through Thursday afternoon with a wind chill late in the day, reaching the double digits below zero. Thursday night will be the coldest night of the season so far.
“The winds will once again switch directions on Friday into Saturday and with leftover cold air moving across the Great Lakes, even more lake effect snow is likely. This will primarily impact areas around Georgian Bay that were hit especially hard last weekend,” he said.
“Temperatures will climb above freezing by the end of the weekend and there’s rain in the forecast on Monday.”
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