Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day this Friday, an extended Colorado depression is en route to Ontario, bringing inclement weather to much of the province through Saturday. The storm could potentially hamper travel as the March holidays draw to a close and holidaymakers head home.
Parts of northern and central Ontario are pending 30-50 cm of fresh snow from this system, leading to widespread winter storm watches for the region.
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Unlike previous powerful storms we’ve seen across Ontario in recent weeks, this low will travel far enough north that its prolific snow will target northern and central parts of the province. Warmer temperatures south of the center of the low will make this a mostly rainy affair for southern Ontario.
We’ll see precipitation spread into Ontario on Thursday as the low hits the Great Lakes and increases in both coverage and intensity overnight through Friday. Snow all around will linger through the weekend.
This will be a long-lasting heavy snow event for many areas under the Winter Storm Watch.
“Snow can accumulate quickly and visibility can be significantly reduced at times,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in its winter storm surveillance for the region, including the communities of Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.
“There may be significant travel delays and road closures,” ECCC added.
Locally strong winds of between 45 and 50 mph and snow will result in whiteout conditions for roads and communities along Lake Superior’s north and east shores through Friday.
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Some areas could see 30 to 50 cm of snow by the end of the storm, with drift likely to occur due to the strong winds.
Less snow is forecast for northern Cottage Country and eastern Ontario, with a transition to rain expected later Friday evening.
Ottawa could see about 2 inches of snow from this storm, but uncertainty still lingers in the Ottawa Valley as boundary temperatures and the storm’s exact track affect how much snow can accumulate before transitioning to rain. A continued northerly trend would result in even less snow and a faster transition to rain.
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In southern Ontario, classic spring weather looks set to prevail, with a wet rain and a widespread forecast of 10 to 20mm of precipitation Thursday afternoon through Friday.
Just add it to the winter register, which brought 168.6mm of rain – the rainiest winter on record for Toronto.
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As cold air moves in behind the storm, spells of snow with a lake effect are also likely on Saturday and Sunday, which could complicate traveling with periods of heavy snowfall and reduced visibility in the snow belts.
Cooler than seasonal temperatures are expected to dominate the remainder of March, with some milder days in between.
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Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest weather conditions across Ontario.
