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