Major winter storm to hit Toronto with heavy snow and freezing rain. Here’s when it’s arriving

Thestar.com
Dec. 14, 2022

A winter storm bringing with it freezing rain, heavy snowfall and ice pellets is expected to sweep across Toronto and parts of southern Ontario later this week.

Environment Canada is forecasting the weather event will kick off Thursday morning, with freezing rain starting to fall shortly after the morning rush hour commute around 9 a.m.

The onset of the storm will likely bring with it travel advisories, as slippery roads and reduced visibility are expected as a result of weather conditions.

A spokesperson for Environment Canada said ice pellets and heavy snow could hit the GTA as early as Thursday afternoon, with snowfall reaching its peak between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Toronto can expect up to 15 centimetres of snow by the end of day Thursday, while east of the GTA, closer to Oshawa and the 401 corridors, snow could amount to up to 30 centimetres.

“The snow will continue overnight into Friday morning, and it will be gradually intensifying as we head into the night,” Steven Flisfeder, Environment Canada meteorologist, told the Star.

The winter storm will ease off Friday morning with 60 per cent chances of flurries lingering through the afternoon and finally clearing up overnight.

An extra 5 centimetres of snow is forecasted on Friday in Toronto, but as the snow melts, the weekend will kick off with around 15 centimetres of snow.

The winter precipitations are part of the Colorado-low weather system, a jet stream of fast-speed winds hitting Central Canada by Wednesday and looming through the week.

“This will be the biggest and most significant weather event of the season so far,” Filsfeder said.

A lake-effect weather event will sweep under the GTA during the weekend.

Environment Canada is forecasting flurries for Toronto throughout Saturday and snow squalls are expected north of the GTA close to Lake Huron.

Skies will clear up by Sunday morning, with temperatures plunging back to -5 C and snow accumulating anywhere between 5 to 10 centimetres in the GTA.