Heavy snow, ice continue into Friday across S. Manitoba, N. Ontario
An impactful round of wintry precipitation will continue into Friday across portions of southeastern Manitoba and northern Ontario, with snow, ice pellets, and freezing rain continuing for many communities.
Heavy snow, gusty winds, and ice accretion on exposed surfaces could lead to dangerous travel across the region during the storm.
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By Thursday evening, the rain will change to all snow in northwestern Ontario and into freezing rain and periods of snow for sections of the northeast.
The heaviest band of snow is forecast through Lake Nipigon, Geraldton, Kapuskasing and into western Quebec, where 20-40 cm may fall by the time all is said and done into Saturday morning.
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Heavy snow will also target southern Manitoba, where snowfall warnings are in effect for southeastern portions of the province for the potential for 10-20 cm by the end of the system. The communities of Killarney, Morden, Winkler, and Steinbach are included in the snowfall warnings.
Extensive blowing and drifting snow are also likely with the windy conditions that accompany the system, which threatens whiteouts and possible road closures.
"Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the snowfall warning issued for parts of the region. "Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop."
The freezing rain threat will be south of the heaviest area of snow, bringing the greatest risks to Wawa, Chapleau, and Timmins. The freezing rain will start to develop Thursday evening and persist well into Friday before ending Friday overnight.
There is the potential for some areas to reach and even exceed two centimetres of ice accumulation on untreated surfaces. This will also make for dangerous road conditions, especially it being the first major freezing rain event of the season.
"Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve," ECCC warns. "Beware of branches or electrical wires that could break under the weight of ice. Utility outages may occur."
Additional snow showers are expected into early next week as colder than seasonal temperatures are set to dominate through the end of November.
The warming trend across the south will continue to bring daytime highs into the mid- to upper-teens across much of southern Ontario through Friday, but with a major pattern change expected to begin this weekend as well.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across Ontario.
