March 16, 2026

Winter Roars Back Across Southern Ontario Tuesday With Up to 30 cm of Snow and -20°C Wind Chills

March 16, 2026/ Brennen Perry

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***NOTE: YOU CAN CLICK ON THE MAP TO OPEN A ZOOMABLE IMAGE***

It sure may have felt like winter was behind us for the first half of March, but the second half of the month will serve as a snowy and chilly reminder of what Mother Nature is still capable of across Ontario.

We certainly saw that over the past 24 hours in Northern Ontario, where some communities were buried under more than 50 cm of snow from a late-season winter storm. And over the next 24 hours, Southern Ontario will join them in sharing some of that snowy misery.

The system that brought the heavy snow to Northern Ontario has now begun to move out over Quebec. As it exits the region, it is set to usher in a blast of cold air late Monday evening into the overnight hours. That includes the return of a familiar word, snow squalls.

Moisture from a separate system tracking along the northeastern United States is expected to push into Eastern Ontario and areas around Lake Ontario starting Monday evening. With temperatures dropping quickly behind the departing system, that precipitation is likely to fall in the form of heavy snow.

That snow could become quite intense at times across Central and Eastern Ontario, with snowfall rates of 3 to 5 cm per hour in the heaviest pockets. While it should taper off by the early morning hours on Tuesday, just a few hours of that intensity could be enough to bring 10 to 20 cm by Tuesday morning in some communities.

Further west, plunging temperatures will combine with the now partially ice-free waters of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay to bring a brief resurgence of snow squall activity. While it will not last all day, these squalls could bring locally up to 20 to 30 cm of snow before they wrap up by late Tuesday afternoon. Wind gusts peaking Tuesday morning up to 50 to 70 km/h are likely to combine with the snow squall activity to produce blowing snow and potentially disruptive travel in the snowbelt areas.

Aside from the snow, Tuesday will start off on a very chilly note with wind chills dropping below -20°C in some areas during the morning hours.

**Hourly snowfall rates (cm)** - MAP FROM WEATHERBELL

Precipitation has already begun to spread into Eastern Ontario as of early Monday evening and is expected to continue increasing in intensity over the next several hours. The worst conditions are likely to occur around midnight, when snowfall rates could approach 3 to 5 cm per hour, especially between Peterborough and Kingston.

While this will only last for a few hours, that kind of snowfall in such a short timeframe is likely to make travel difficult during the overnight hours as road crews struggle to keep up. The snowfall intensity appears lighter further east around Cornwall and Ottawa, where totals will be more limited.

Lake effect activity is also expected to begin organizing, starting with Lake Huron. There is still some uncertainty around the Georgian Bay component. The system affecting Eastern Ontario could track far enough west to influence wind direction off Georgian Bay, which may delay or even limit the onset of snow squalls in that region.

By the early morning hours of Tuesday, Eastern Ontario will see the steady snowfall taper off as it shifts into Quebec.

Instead, the focus will turn to strengthening lake effect activity off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Again, there is some disagreement on how intense the Georgian Bay squall will become. If it does develop properly, it appears most likely to focus somewhere along the Midland to Orillia corridor.

The Lake Huron activity will initially target Bruce and Grey counties, at times extending into northern Huron and Perth counties, along with portions of Wellington and Dufferin counties.

Another major concern is that this lake effect activity will be accompanied by gusts approaching 50 to 70 km/h at times, especially near the shoreline and in flat, exposed areas. That can lead to significant reductions in visibility due to blowing snow and may even briefly meet blizzard criteria in some areas east of Lake Huron.

It is very likely that the usual roads vulnerable to blowing snow across Grey Bruce, Huron and Perth counties may need to be shut down for a period of time on Tuesday. Expect significant delays and consider avoiding travel if possible, especially during the morning and early afternoon.

Heading into Tuesday afternoon, the winds fueling the lake effect activity are expected to gradually diminish, starting with Georgian Bay. That will likely allow any activity off Georgian Bay to slowly fizzle out by early afternoon.

For Lake Huron, the activity is likely to drift south of Grey Bruce and focus more on portions of Huron and Perth counties. It may persist for several hours through the afternoon before weakening closer to the dinner hour.

If the snowfall is not enough to set the winter mood, it will certainly feel like it as a surge of Arctic air settles over Southern Ontario overnight into Tuesday.

Many areas are expected to drop below -10°C by Tuesday morning. With the wind chill, it could feel closer to -25°C in some locations, especially east of Lake Huron into Central Ontario and parts of Northeastern Ontario.

As is usually the case with lake effect snow, it can be very difficult to pinpoint the hardest hit regions. These snow bands can be narrow and highly localized, meaning one community could see significant accumulation while another just down the road sees very little.

With that in mind, the heaviest snowfall totals are most likely somewhere in the Port Elgin, Hanover, Minto, Mildmay, Kincardine, Point Clark and Wingham zones. We are forecasting 20 to 30 cm in this corridor, but there is a chance that localized areas could see as much as 35 to 40 cm if a band locks in place for several hours.

Surrounding areas, including Goderich, Clinton, Exeter, Mitchell, Stratford, Listowel, Arthur, Flesherton, Meaford, Chatsworth, Owen Sound, Wiarton and Lion’s Head could see around 10 to 20 cm. Some of these communities may fall short of that depending on how far inland the lake effect bands extend and how long they persist.

For the Georgian Bay squall, we are forecasting 10 to 20 cm for Midland, Orillia and Washago. Barrie sits right on the line and could go either way. If 10 cm or more falls in Barrie, it would most likely be in the north end, with lesser amounts toward the south. Should the Georgian Bay activity exceed expectations and organize more than current guidance suggests, localized pockets of 25 to 30 cm cannot be completely ruled out. However, it could just as easily struggle to reach 10 cm.

In Eastern Ontario, the system is expected to deliver a general 10 to 15 cm in locations including Peterborough, Belleville, Kingston, Bancroft, Deep River, Renfrew and Pembroke. Some areas, especially north of Lake Ontario between Peterborough and Kingston, may pick up closer to 20 cm where the heaviest snowfall rates set up overnight.

Less than 10 cm is expected for Ottawa, Cornwall and Brockville as these areas are likely to see lighter and less intense snowfall from this system. The same applies to Muskoka and Parry Sound, where 5 to 10 cm is possible.

Lower amounts are expected in the Greater Toronto Area, extending into Hamilton and the Niagara region. Around 2 to 5 cm of snow is expected, mainly during the evening on Monday.

Less than 2 cm is expected for Deep Southwestern Ontario, including Windsor, Chatham and Sarnia, where this system will have very limited impact.

February 15, 2026

Dust Your Shovels Off! Winter Makes its Long-Awaited Return to Central and Southern Alberta

February 15, 2026/ Alannah Campbell

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It’s been a quiet week across Alberta and even quieter across much of Central and Southern Alberta since New Years. For many Albertans, their shovels and snowblowers have been gathering dust while temperatures have climbed into the double digits. This is all about to change with the arrival of a system that is set to dump a widespread 10-35cm of snow to start the week.

Scattered light flurries are expected to occur from Grande Prairie to Slave Lake on Monday morning before the snow becomes more organized starting in the early afternoon. As the afternoon progresses, snow from a system to the southwest will begin to move into the Southern Rockies.

This low pressure system, and its associated snowfall, will continue to track northeastward into the province during the afternoon and into the evening, merging with the area of more organized snowfall to the north. Combined, this widespread snow will spread eastward through the evening and overnight hours. The snow could be heavy at times, falling at rates above 3cm/hr for several hours and leading to rapid accumulation.

***The rdps model showing precipitation type and intensity for Monday at 9pm mt. courtesy of WeatherBell.***

During this time, the snow will be mostly falling over parts of Central and Northern Alberta, bypassing the majority of Southern Alberta.

The snow for this region is slated to begin Tuesday morning, as an additional band of snowfall crosses into the province from the US and joins up with the rest of the system. This later start will lead to lower snowfall totals here than further north, however, it’s likely that there will be some localized intensification through the morning and early afternoon. This will result in with pockets of heavier snowfall, that will quickly drive up the accumulations in impacted areas.

The snow will start to taper off, from west to east, in the mid to late morning hours on Tuesday. The snow will persist across Eastern Alberta throughout the afternoon before it begins to dissipate through the evening and exit the province by midnight.

***The rdps model showing precipitation type and intensity for Tuesday at 8am mt. courtesy of WeatherBell.***

Overall, Southern and Central Alberta, and into Northern Alberta, can expect at least 5cm of snow by Wednesday morning. A considerable swath of this region, stretching from Calgary to Slave Lake and from Grande Prairie to Lloydminster, will see prolonged snow and possibly periods of heavier rates of snowfall. This will result in over 15cm of snow accumulating. East Central Alberta, from Edmonton to the Saskatchewan border, can expect more than 25cm of snow, with the possibility of locally higher amounts approaching 40cm,

As mentioned above, since Southern Alberta can expect the snow to begin much later than to the north, snowfall totals will be reduced. Snow is still expected to fall for several hours and with embedded areas of heavier snowfall, many areas will likely approach the 15cm mark by the end of Tuesday.

Reduced visibility from blowing snow will also be a concern with this system. Wind gusts up to 60km/h are expected to develop Monday afternoon and continue through the overnight hours. As the additional area of snow moves into Southern Alberta on Tuesday morning, the winds are expected to strengthen, with gusts up to 80km/h continuing into the evening before dying down.

When combined with the fresh and falling snow, not only will visibility be reduced, but there’s also the possibility for periods of blizzard-like conditions across the eastern portions of Southern and Central Alberta. This will make travel very hazardous so please take extra caution on the roads over the next couple of days.

***The rdps model showing peak wind gusts for Monday and Tuesday. courtesy of WeatherBell.***

February 05, 2026

Blowing Snow and Near-Blizzard Conditions Could Threaten Friday Evening Commute Across Southern Ontario

February 05, 2026/ Brennen Perry

This week has mostly offered a much-needed reprieve from what felt like an endless onslaught of snow that dominated much of January. For many across Southern Ontario, it finally felt like winter eased up a little. Aside from an Alberta Clipper earlier this week, snowfall became lighter and more scattered, and we even managed to climb out of the deep freeze over the past few days, with temperatures returning closer to seasonal norms for early February.

That quieter stretch is now coming to an end as we head into the weekend. A fast-moving but potent weather system is set to cross the region on Friday, bringing a quick blast of heavy snow, strong winds, and sharply falling temperatures. While this will not be a long-duration storm, its timing and intensity could still cause significant disruption.

The main feature to watch will be a cold front sweeping across Ontario on Friday afternoon and evening. Along the leading edge of this front, a frontal squall is expected to develop. This type of setup is known for producing intense snowfall over a very short period of time, often accompanied by rapidly worsening visibility.

As this squall moves through, whiteout conditions are likely to develop with little warning. Snowfall rates could become very heavy for one to two hours in many areas, which is more than enough time for roads to become snow-covered and slippery before plows are able to respond.

Wind will be another major factor with this system. In the wake of the cold front, wind gusts are expected to ramp up quickly. Many areas could see gusts exceeding 70 km/h, with even stronger gusts possible in some locations. This combination of fresh snow and strong winds will lead to widespread blowing snow and significantly reduced visibility.

Unfortunately, the worst of these conditions is expected to line up with the afternoon and early evening commute across much of Southwestern and Central Ontario. Travel conditions could deteriorate rapidly during this window, especially on highways and open rural roads where blowing snow tends to be more severe.

Snowfall totals from this system are not expected to be extreme by winter standards. Most areas are generally looking at around 5 to 10 cm of snow, with locally higher amounts possible. Areas near Lake Huron could see totals exceed 10 cm due to minor lake enhancement adding to the frontal snow.

The bigger concern is not how much snow falls, but how quickly it falls. With most of the accumulation occurring in a narrow one to two-hour window, roads can become snow-covered very quickly. This rapid accumulation often leads to poor driving conditions even when overall totals are modest.

Snow is expected to begin spreading into Southwestern and Central Ontario during the mid-morning hours on Friday. At this point, winds should still be relatively light. Snowfall rates during the morning should generally remain below 1 cm per hour, which means conditions should stay manageable for the early part of the day.

This initial area of light snow will gradually expand eastward through the late morning and early afternoon, reaching Eastern Ontario as the day goes on. Travel impacts during this phase are expected to be limited, though roads may start to become slick in spots.

By mid to late afternoon, attention turns to the arrival of the sharp cold front. This front will have three main impacts on the region, with the first being the intense frontal squall along its leading edge.

The squall is expected to begin moving into parts of Northern Ontario and the Lake Huron region sometime between 2 and 4 PM. From there, it will push steadily southeastward through the afternoon.

The Muskoka to London corridor is likely to see the squall move through between roughly 4 and 6 PM. During this time, snowfall rates could become very heavy, and visibility may drop to near zero for brief periods.

As the squall continues southeast, it is expected to reach the Greater Toronto Area around the dinner hour. While it may weaken somewhat by this point, a burst of heavy snow and gusty winds is still possible.

By the early evening, the squall should be pushing into Eastern Ontario, reaching areas such as Kingston and Ottawa sometime around 9 to 10 PM. Even though it will be later in the day, conditions could still become hazardous for a time as it moves through.

Whiteout conditions may occur with little warning wherever the squall passes. These conditions could last for an hour or two in any given location, making travel very difficult during that brief window.

The second major concern with this system will be the strong winds developing behind the cold front. Wind gusts are expected to be strongest near Lake Huron, where some models are indicating gusts approaching 80 km/h from Goderich through Grand Bend and into London.

In this area, localized blizzard conditions are possible from the late afternoon into the evening hours. Environment Canada has mentioned that a blizzard warning may be required for parts of this region, though there remains some uncertainty regarding how long the strongest winds will last.

Even outside of the Lake Huron shoreline, many areas could see wind gusts between 50 and 70 km/h. These winds will be more than enough to cause blowing snow, especially with freshly fallen snow being easily lofted off the ground.

Blowing snow is likely to continue into the evening even after snowfall tapers off, prolonging travel impacts and keeping visibility reduced for several hours.

Another aspect being closely monitored is the potential for very strong wind gusts along higher elevations north of the Greater Toronto Area. Some models suggest a corridor of stronger winds following the Oak Ridges Moraine, extending from Durham Region through York Region and into parts of Peel Region.

In these areas, wind gusts could approach or even exceed 90 km/h. If this scenario materializes, there could be an increased risk of power outages and localized damage, especially in exposed areas.

Behind the cold front, lake effect snow is expected to develop along the Lake Huron shoreline Friday evening and continue overnight. The exact intensity of this lake effect snow remains somewhat uncertain.

A significant portion of Lake Huron is currently covered in ice, which can limit how much moisture the lake can supply. This may prevent the lake effect from becoming as intense as it otherwise could be.

However, the very strong winds will play a major role in impacts regardless of snowfall intensity. Wind gusts exceeding 70 km/h will likely lead to near blizzard conditions along the shoreline, with blowing snow continuing through the evening and into the overnight hours.

The third and perhaps most noticeable impact of this cold front will be the sudden return to bitterly cold temperatures. This drop in temperature will be sharp and abrupt, not gradual.

By Saturday morning, widespread wind chills are expected to make it feel well into the -30s across much of Southern Ontario. Some areas could even approach wind chills near -40°C.

Actual air temperatures are expected to range from -25°C to -30°C across most regions. Deep Southwestern Ontario, including areas closer to Lake Erie, may stay a bit milder, closer to -20°C.

As mentioned, snowfall totals from this event are not expected to be overly impressive on their own and would be considered fairly typical for this time of year. The real story will be the wind, the rapid snowfall rates, and the extreme cold that follows.

The highest snowfall totals are expected along the Lake Huron shoreline from Kincardine down through Grand Bend. In these areas, 5 to 10 cm from the frontal squall combined with locally 10 to 15 cm from lake effect snow could result in overall totals between 10 and 20 cm.

Elsewhere across Southwestern Ontario, excluding Deep Southwestern Ontario, as well as Central and Eastern Ontario, a general 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected. Localized pockets could approach 15 cm if the squall slows down or briefly stalls over an area.

For Deep Southwestern Ontario, including Sarnia and Windsor, along with the western portions of the GTA and the Niagara region, snowfall totals are expected to be lower. Around 2 to 5 cm is likely in these areas as the frontal squall weakens and becomes less organized.

Even in areas with lower snowfall totals, conditions could still become hazardous for a time due to strong winds, blowing snow, and rapidly falling temperatures as winter reminds us it is far from finished.

January 20, 2026

Yet Another Round of Intense Winds and Whiteouts Will Batter Alberta & Saskatchewan Tonight Ahead of Bitter Cold

January 20, 2026/ Alannah Campbell

In a seemingly never ending trend of strong winds, it comes as no surprise that we’re in for another bout of intense wind gusts beginning this evening and continuing into Wednesday morning. These strong northerly winds will be courtesy of a cold front that will blast southward from the Northwest Territories, having already crossed into Northern Alberta earlier this afternoon.

As the cold front makes its way across Northern Alberta through the remainder of the afternoon and into the early evening, 70-80km/h gusts are likely. The winds will become stronger as the cold front moves into Central Alberta a bit later in the evening, with gusts expected to exceed 80km/h over most of Eastern Alberta and into Southwest Saskatchewan. This also includes the possibility of gusts up to, and even exceeding, 100km/h, particularly from Kindersley and southeastward to the US border. The strongest winds will exit the region before sunrise, but gusts upwards of 60km/h are expected to linger into Wednesday evening.

***The rdps model showing wind gusts at 10pm MT/11pm CT on Tuesday. courtesy of WeatherBell.***

These winds will also once again be accompanied by snow. Bands of flurries are expected to organize into snow squalls, which will reduce visibility in impacted areas. Given how narrow the bands are anticipated to be, there will likely be periods of rapid reductions in visibility followed by sudden clearing. It is also unlikely that there will be any blizzard warnings issued this time around because of how short-lived the whiteouts should be.

Overall, we could see a few centimetres of snow falling, but with the wind, it’ll be impossible to measure anyways. The exception to this will be in deep Southwestern Saskatchewan, in the Cypress Hills area, where 5-10cm of snow could accumulate.

The arrival of this cold front will be the precursor of frigid Arctic air that is slated to start to flood south later in the day Wednesday, and will persist until the beginning of next week. By Friday morning, we’re looking at widespread temperatures in the range of -25°C to -45°C across the Prairies, with windchills below -50°C!

We will have more details regarding how cold it will get and where in the coming days, but you’re definitely going to want to bundle up for the rest of the week!