Parts of Ontario are expected to receive up to 60 cm of snow as Environment Canada issued snow squall warnings for part of the province on Thursday.
Snow squall warnings are in effect for parts of the cottage country, including Bracebridge, Owen Sound and Kawartha Lakes. The warning also covers areas from Barrie, Orillia and Peterborough to Bellville.
Environment Canada’s snow warning could see up to 60 cm of snow fall on the stretch from Barrie to Tobermory, while lake-effect snow squalls are expected Thursday into Friday morning.
“Northwest winds gusting up to 60 km/h can cause blowing snow and significantly reduced visibility at times,” the weather agency said.
“Visibility will suddenly be reduced to near zero, sometimes in heavy snow and blowing snow. Rapid accumulation of snow will make travel difficult.
Other areas under the snow squall warning will see between 25cm and 40cm.
Meanwhile, weather advisories are issued for the Parry Sound region and parts of southwestern Ontario, including Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford and Grand Bend, where 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected.
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The lake effect is expected to gradually weaken by Thursday afternoon.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to snow accumulation. Use particular caution when walking or driving in affected areas,” Environment Canada said.
No warnings or advisories have been issued for Toronto or the immediate Greater Toronto Area as well as the Windsor-London-Niagara section.
At the beginning of December 2024, cottage country hit by massive, historic snowfall which saw 140 cm of snow fall on the region, causing a state of emergency.
Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said the snowfall was the heaviest they’ve seen in the Muskoka region in almost 30 years.
“Some of these accumulations are definitely historic as we look back and in terms of some major events beyond these amounts that we’re talking about, certainly rival many of the largest storms that we’ve ever had,” Coulson said in December. .
Global New meteorologist Anthony Farnell said it was incredible how much snow had fallen in such a short time.
“Those are numbers that are basically an entire month of snow in the middle of winter, and it’s happening very early and all at once,” Farnell said.
He noted the weather conditions were unusual given the mild fall that brought the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay to record warm temperatures for November.
— With files from Sawyer Bogdan of Global News
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