Old Man Winter’s cooler temperatures made an appearance in Ontario this past week, and more snow in the forecast for Dec. 23 makes a white Christmas a virtual certainty for the vast majority of the province.
Winter weather travel advisories have been issued for a large swath of Ontario, with Environment Canada predicting up to 20 centimetres of snow from Parry Sound in the north down to Barrie and east to Perth.
Toronto and much of the Greater Toronto Area can expect up to 15 centimetres of snow today with the risk of icy and snow-covered roads on the drive home from work.
“Only a few centimetres are expected from this initial round of snow,” Environment Canada said in its advisory. “Another more significant round of snow is expected to move into the area this afternoon or early this evening.”
The snow will taper off into flurries late tonight with a risk of freezing drizzle, Environment Canada said.
Areas like Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, and Orillia hard hit by snow early in the winter season should brace for snowfall amounts of 15 to 20 centimetres with peak snowfall rates of two to three centimetres per hour, the weather warning issued for the area said.
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Gravenhurst declared a state of emergency Dec. 1 after being hit with more than 140 centimetres of snow that resulted in motorists being stranded overnight in their vehicles on Highway 11.
Parry Sound, Barrie, Bancroft, and much of the Kawarthas as well as eastern sections of the province like Carleton Place and Gananoque are under the same snowfall advisory where “significant snowfall” is expected this afternoon through tonight.
“There is still some uncertainty with where the heaviest snow sets up but most regions are expected to see near 15 centimetres with locally up to 20 centimetres possible,” the advisory said.
Peterborough, Belleville, Kingston, and Ottawa can expect snowfall accumulations of 10 to 15 centimetres beginning this afternoon and ending tonight. The snow, which will be heavy at times, is expected to taper off to flurries late tonight with a risk of freezing drizzle.
Further north, Sudbury, North Bay, and Sault Ste. Marie can expect accumulations near 10 centimetres by nightfall while Owen Sound and much of Manitoulin Island can anticipate 10 to 15 centimetres.
To the west, Kitchener, Waterloo, and Stratford can look forward to anywhere from five to 15 centimetres of snow.
Environment Canada is warning motorists in all areas expecting snow to drive with caution.
“Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly,” the weather agency said. “Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.”
While areas further north like Timmins and Thunder Bay are not part of the weather advisory, they have already received substantial accumulations of snow this month.
