Temperatures dip Tuesday

Toronto returns to more winterlike conditions Tuesday after a day of mild weather.

Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said temperatures are set to drop overnight to -10 C and remain there for Tuesday morning’s commute.

Flurries are expected to fall but not accumulate, said Phillips.

The weather will continue to yo-yo throughout the week. After temperatures climb to 1 C on Tuesday, they are expected to fall throughout Wednesday and Thursday, when the low will reach -14 C. Temperatures will return to near the zero mark Friday and into the weekend.

Toronto experienced a mild, wet day on Monday, thanks to a storm system from the U.S. that brought freezing rain to areas around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. The conditions prompted the City of Toronto to issue a warning to residents to stay clear of waterways, after concerns that accumulating snow and rain would increase the likelihood of creeks and streams flooding.

Noel Grzetic

Warm and wet farewell to February

Toronto will get a taste of mild spring conditions throughout the morning and early afternoon but a return to winter weather later today as the city bids farewell to February.

Monday’s rainfall — a total of about 15 mm — combined with melting snow and mild temperatures will make for slick sidewalks and a slippery commute across the GTA.

But according to Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, the rain has already started to taper off and temperatures are set to drop. The city’s current temperature is 2 C, but the mercury will sink to -1 C later today , and then drop to -10 C overnight.

Winds will also pick up throughout the day — reaching between 30 and 50 km/h — but that will be a blessing in disguise for commuters, says Phillips.

“That’s going to help to dry up the situation,” he said, adding that there’s a chance of flurries later on, but snow will not accumulate.

The mixed bag of weather is thanks to a storm system coming up from the U.S. that brought freezing rain to areas around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

“We were lucky. All we had to deal with was the spring rain,” Phillips said.

As far as March goes, Phillips says the lamb will likely beat out the lion.

Forecasts show the month is due to start on a mild note, with temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday expected to stay above the freezing point with 1 C and 3 C respectively.

Wendy Gillis, Staff Reporter

Slippery commute expected Monday morning for GTA

GTA residents may be in for a slippery commute Monday morning as a storm coming in from the U.S. could bring up to 15 mm of rain.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ria Alsen said the rain, which is expected to begin Sunday night, will fall until Monday afternoon.

A warm front coming in with the Colorado storm will raise temperatures in Toronto to 4 C by early morning.

This abnormally high morning temperature, coupled with rain, will melt the snow and likely give commuters a slippery drive, Alsen said.

“There’s going to be a lot of water on the roads,” she said.

Road conditions for the evening commute could be icy, as temperatures are expected to drop to -1 C by late afternoon, and any puddles on the ground could freeze, she added.

Newmarket, Vaughan and parts of eastern Ontario could receive freezing rain. Parts of southwestern Ontario face a risk of scattered thunderstorms.

Tuesday’s forecast for Toronto is sunny with a high of 1 C.

'Complicated' weather system coming to GTA

Susan Dundas takes a moment to enjoy the snow during her run through the Humber Bay Park East in Toronto on Sunday. (Tim Finlan/Toronto Star)

Environment Canada is calling the weather situation “complicated,” as temperatures fluctuate below and above the freezing point.

A complex, low-pressure weather system developing in Colorado will begin moving eastward, hugging the lower great lakes and bringing moist, temperate conditions.

The GTA is expected to get around 15 mm of rain and temperatures are forecasted to climb to a few degrees above freezing tonight and into Monday.

Areas around Lake Erie and to the southwest will receive extra rainfall with a risk of thunderstorms, and snow and freezing rain could be a possibility for areas north and east of the GTA, including Ottawa.

Uncertain patterns and timing will require constant monitoring of this developing weather system.

Emmanuel Samoglou

GTA dodges heavy snow, rain on the way

A storm that prompted weather warnings ended up largely skirting the GTA Friday, but commuters may still face a messy drive home.

“We have stayed on the northern fringe of the storm,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson, noting that the snow is more severe in the Hamilton area and Niagara peninsula.

The snow started at dawn, and was expected to continue throughout the morning before tapering off in the afternoon.

Conditions may be on the slippery side during the commute as city’s plows deal with the snow.

Only a few centimetres of snow are now expected, although wind gusting to 50 km/h will make the high of –2 C feel like –9 C, Coulson said.

The system is moving east toward southeastern Quebec and the Maritimes, where up to 15 centimetres of snow is expected to fall.

Drivers’ tests were cancelled at 19 Ontario DriveTest centres and three delayed starting times following the special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.

Porter Airline asked travellers to confirm their flights to Quebec, the Maritimes and northeastern United States in case of delays or cancellations due weather conditions.

For Friday, Air Canada is allowing Toronto travellers to make changes to their flights free of charge online.

The weekend will bring milder temperatures with minor flurries with a high of –2 C on Saturday and 5 C on Sunday, with showers that will continue until Monday.

- Daniela Germano

Expected snow storm halts driving tests

Snowfall anticipated for Friday is buying time for some people who were scheduled to take driving tests.

Nineteen Ontario DriveTest centres have cancelled tests all day and three more have delayed start times.

Snow is expected to hit Windsor and nearby areas just after midnight and move east by early Friday. By late afternoon it will stop snowing in Toronto, according to an Environment Canada special weather statement.

Toronto is expected to get 10 centimetres of snow.

The hardest hit areas, near the lower Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, are predicted to see between five and 15 centimetres of the white stuff.

Road tests are cancelled in Etobicoke, Brampton, Oakville, Woodbridge, Downsview, Aurora, Lindsay, Bancroft, Kingston, Cornwall, Windsor, Chatham, Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford, Simcoe, Woodstock, Tillsonburg and St. Catharines.

Tests scheduled in Oshawa, Port Union and Metro East will be starting late.

Updates are available at drivetest.ca.

Storm to bring snowy commute Friday morning

With 10 to 15 cm of snow expected in Toronto and the GTA throughout the day on Friday and winds gusting up to 80 km/h at times, commuting Friday morning may be tricky, said Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Prime.

“The blowing snow is probably what people are going to notice when they’re driving in, because the winds are going to pick up and we’re going to have that fresh snow.”

The light flurries falling early Thursday should end by mid-morning, Prime said. But a low-pressure system currently in Colorado is expected to bring a fresh wave of winter weather to southern Ontario overnight.

Prime predicted snow would begin falling in the Windsor area around midnight Thursday and would start accumulating in Toronto a few hours later. But only about 2 to 4 cm are expected overnight in Toronto, with the majority of accumulation coming during the day on Friday.

While Toronto and the GTA are looking at about 10 to 15 cm, the area from Windsor to Niagara, along the shore of Lake Erie, is under a winter storm watch and predicted to get up to 20 to 25 cm. of snow in some parts, Prime said. 

As for temperatures, Toronto can expect a high of zero on Friday and -3C on Saturday under sunny skies. But things will warm up into Sunday and Monday with predicted highs of 4C and 9C respectively. 

--Christine Dobby, Staff Reporter

Freezing rain warning in effect

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the GTA, warning of a possibility of freezing rain beginning after midnight.

Precipitation is expected mainly in the form of snow, as a storm tracks south of the Great Lakes through the night and into Thursday morning.

We could be in for more snow later in the week. A storm originating in the southwestern United States could dump significant amounts of snow in areas near the lower Great Lakes beginning Thursday night and continuing during the day Friday.

Emmanuel Samoglou

Toronto “grazed” by snow storm

Toronto received a blanket of snow overnight as the storm originally predicted to bring 10 to 15 cm of snow to the city moved south.

Pearson airport received about 5 cm but snowfall in other parts of the city was measured at 3 or 4 cm, according to Environment Canada.

Severe weather meteorologist Rob Kuhn said because Toronto was situated near the edge of the storm, a slight change in the storm’s track made a big difference in the snowfall amount.

“If the storm had gone just a bit further north, we would have been really digging out this morning,” he said. “But the storm went just a hair further south. We just got grazed by the edge of it.”

Weather warnings issued for Hamilton and Niagara were ended Monday morning. Overall, southwestern Ontario experienced the brunt of the storm, Kuhn said.

London received about 17 cm of snow and Windsor was buried under more than 20 cm. Monday’s forecast for Toronto calls for isolated flurries in the morning and a gradual clearing towards the afternoon, with an expected high of -5 Celsius.

Northeast winds of up to 30 km/h could cause some drifting snow, Kuhn added. The city is expected to warm up throughout the week, reaching positive temperatures on Thursday.

Gloria Er-Chua, Staff Reporter

Winter storm may bring ice pellets to Hamilton, London

Environment Canada is warning that another winter storm is set to hit southern Ontario Sunday evening with snow in some cities, including Hamilton and London, possibly turning to ice pellets.

Freezing rain is expected in the ‘extreme southwest’ of Ontario and may cause icy driving conditions Monday morning.

Environment Canada issued a winter storm watch for most of the southeastern part of the province, predicting the potential of up to 20 cm of snow in some places.

A low pressure system now over Colorado is expected to track east toward the Great Lakes and pass just south of Lake Erie by Sunday evening.

Snow and blowing snow are expected for areas from Goderich across the Waterloo region and into western parts of the GTA.

As of 8 p.m. Sunday evening Environment Canada had ended the storm warning for Mississauga – though the city is still expected to see 5 to 10 cm of snow.

Cities to the North and East of Toronto will likely see no more than 2 cm of snow fall.

The northeastern parts of the GTA, including the City of Toronto, will likely avoid the brunt of the storm but can still expect accumulation in the range of 5 to 10 cm by Monday morning, according to the weather agency.

After a brief taste of spring on Friday, followed by plunging temperatures Saturday, Toronto remained chilly Sunday morning with a temperature of minus 10 and a wind chill of minus 18.

By Monday night the mercury is expected to drop to minus 13.

After the spurt of balmy weather, powerful winds of up to 100 km/h downed powerlines, knocked down trees and tore part of the roof off a strip mall in the city’s West End.

Thousands were left without power over the weekend but Hydro One says it has restored power for nearly 50, 000 customers.

Some 2,600 customers are still without electricity. Hydro One says the remaining customers are in more rural areas may not have their power restored until Monday.

Christine Dobby and Hayley Kelman, with files from Canadian Press