Rising temperatures to bring falling snow

A man's breath is lit by the setting sun while skating on a cold afternoon in Toronto on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011.(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

 

Toronto’s deep freeze is set to end by Monday evening.

 

The last of the extreme cold the city experienced over the weekend will gradually lift as newer, smaller weather systems are ushered in for the rest of the week.

Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips estimates that temperatures will reach highs of 0 to -2C on Wednesday and -5C on Thursday.

“This is the week the temperatures bottom out and they begin to rise upwards slowly…for the duration of winter,” said Phillips, adding that temperatures won’t drop back into the double digits.

But that reprieve in the cold comes with a downside: more snow.

 “Currently there is some snow over Lake Ontario,” says Ria Alsen, meteorologist for Environment Canada, first thing Monday morning.

“Right now it’s sitting just over the lake hitting Toronto Island.”

Alsen warns the snow could push over the lake and if it does, it may be heavy at times.

“It’s a question of how much inland this burst of snow will come,” says Alsen.

If it does come inland, it will hit the city either late Monday morning or early afternoon with the possibility of 5 cm falling in and around the GTA.

The flurries at times may be heavy and higher amounts are possible if the lake effect band moves slowly across the city.

Visibility may be severely reduced to near zero at times in heavy flurries.

 “The rest of the week will be rather uneventful, it won’t get as cold as it has been,” says Alsen. “We might see some flurries but no major systems are expected.”

The past weekend saw the coldest moment of winter thus far, said Phillips, with temperatures dropping to -33C with the wind chill.

-- Hayley Kelman, Staff Reporter

Temperature expected to rise for Tuesday

After experiencing its lowest temperature in two years this morning, Toronto can look forward to above freezing weather Tuesday.

“What’s noteworthy is early this morning we got down to -20 C, with a wind chill of -28, that’s the coldest moment of the winter thus far,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment Canada. “This is the coldest it’s been in two years.”

Those frigid temperatures are expected to last through Monday morning, but Environment Canada says a low pressure system moving in from South Dakota may bring freezing rain and the potential for more snow.

As that happens, the temperature is set to rise from –20 C to 3 C in around 30 hours.

“Going from face-numbing wind chill to an almost balmy January thaw — you don’t see that kind of dramatic switch around often” says Phillips.

The system moving in later Monday is expected to bring warm air as it moves in from the west, but it’s also “relatively dry.”

“This is not a system that has much moisture associated with it,” he said. “It may not be too messy, or too bad — it really depends on whether there is in fact freezing rain.”

If that happens, it could make for a messy morning commute on Tuesday.

“We may be lucky and go from flurries straight to the liquid stuff,” said Phillips.

Despite the warning for flurries, no snow accumulation is expected, just a continuing “flip-flop” from cold to warm and back again with Wednesday expected to return to negative temperatures.

The rest of the week is not likely to see a high above freezing, with temperatures remaining around –7 C, around 2 degrees colder than normal.

But Phillips says we shouldn’t be putting away our shovels just yet as more snow is anticipated for Friday, though it’s too early to say exactly how much.

“The weekend will be very cold with a high of –8 C and a low of –15 C, the ice will definitely thicken up” said Phillips.

“Ice fishing will be full speed ahead, and those not liking winter will be wishing they’re in Florida.”

- Hayley Kelman

From floods to snowstorms, blame La Nina

A parked car is buried in snow following a winter storm in Toronto last week. (Darren Calabrese/THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO)

If you think this year’s winter is a bit harsher than those in your recent memory, blame La Nina.

Environment Canada says the weather phenomenon has been wreaking havoc around the globe — and having an effect here at home.

“We’ve already had more snow this winter as we had all winter last year,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist.

La Nina, which Phillips describes as “the nasty sister of El Nino,” is the result of the cooling of the Pacific Ocean along the equator and the subsequent changing of wind patterns.

For Canada, this generally leads to colder and longer winters as systems come in from the northern air masses, although Ontario is not usually affected as much as the western provinces.

“What we see is more cold spells and a bit more snow, but it varies,” said Phillips. According to Phillips, the winter may even be a little longer than the last, with the possibility of snow into April.

“It is good for skiers, not good for people who want to save money on their home heating bills,” said Phillips.

La Nina tends to come every three to seven years; scientists are never able to predict its arrival, only what may happen once it’s here.

“It affects the weather around the globe,” said Phillips. “Some of the floods in Brazil, Sri Lanka and Australia are directly related to La Nina.”

Raging floodwaters have swamped thousands of homes and businesses in Queensland, leaving at least 25 people dead and dozens more missing since late November. Rail lines and highways have been washed away in what is shaping up to become Australia's costliest natural disaster.

The flooding follows a spate of severe natural disasters in the past year. While the most deadly was Haiti's earthquake, extreme weather also killed thousands of people across the globe, including a scorching heat wave that choked Russia in the summer and devastating floods that engulfed more than 150,000 square kilometres in Pakistan.

The effects of La Nina can last anywhere from six months to 18 months. El Nino, on the other hand, is the result of temperatures rising in Pacific Ocean along South America, and brings Canada much shorter and warmer winters like that of last year.

“What’s been unusual this year is that it went from El Nino to La Nina almost overnight,” said Phillips, explaining that there is usually a transition period of neutral ocean temperatures between the two.

With files from The Associated Press

This aerial photograph shows residential suburbs inundated as flood waters devastate much of Brisbane on Jan. 13, 2011.(TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

St. John's digs out after snowstorm

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Residents of the Newfoundland capital are recovering from their first major taste of winter.

A weather system moved into the area on Thursday, dumping about 40 centimetres of snow.

The storm has led to many delays and cancellations at St. John's International Airport.

From five to 20 centimetres of snow fell in some other parts of the province.

Environment Canada says southeastern areas could see snow mixed with rain today, along with strong winds.

The storm moved into the province after dumping up to 30 centimetres of snow on parts of the three Maritime provinces.

-- The Canadian Press

Flight delays, power outages after Maritimes storm

Pedestrians shield their faces as a winter storm starts in Halifax on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. (Andrew Vaughan/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

HALIFAX - Power outages and flight delays continue in the wake of a winter storm that dumped as much as 30 centimetres of snow on parts of the Maritime provinces.

The number of Nova Scotia Power customers without electricity fluctuated between 4,000 and 6,000 early today — down from about 16,000 on Wednesday night.

The utility blamed the outages on heavy snow.

There were also numerous school closures across Nova Scotia today, largely due to poor road conditions.

Flight cancellations continue at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport and the Greater Moncton International Airport.

Snowfall warnings were lifted in most of Nova Scotia but remain in effect for Moncton and southeastern New Brunswick, where another five to 10 centimetres is forecast.

The storm began Wednesday morning in the Maritimes and is moving into Newfoundland today.

Environment Canada has posted snowfall warnings for the Avalon and Burin peninsulas, with a forecast of up to 25 centimetres by Friday morning.

Coastal areas could also experience rain, resulting in lower snowfall amounts.

--The Canadian Press

Worst of GTA storm over: meteorologist

Driving conditions during the early morning rush hour Wednesday on the eastbound Gardiner Expressway. (TIM FINLAN/TORONTO STAR)

GTA motorists are looking at a smoother commute Wednesday evening as a storm that brought more than 10 cm of snow to Toronto overnight and early Wednesday passes. “The worst is over,” Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said.

Environment Canada ended its special weather statement for snowfall in most parts of the GTA at around 11 a.m. Hamilton received about 15 cm of snow while Brampton and Mississauga had snowfalls of about 12 cm.

The city of Toronto received about 10 cm in total. Residents should look out for drifting snow being carried by north winds clocking in at 30 km/h, Environment Canada said. A steady snowfall continues in the Niagara region, which could receive up to 20 cm before the storm tapers off later in the day, Coulson said.

A snow squall warning in effect in Sarnia will continue until at least the evening. “After that, we’re actually looking at a couple of days of relatively quiet weather,” Coulson said. Sunshine with cloudy periods are in the forecasts over Toronto for Thursday and Friday.

After a slippery morning with dozens of single-vehicle crashes, Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Woodford said all OPP-monitored highways are ready for the afternoon rush. “The majority of the snow is gone from the roads. They’re a little bit wet but they’re in good condition,” he said.

Woodford advised motorists, in addition to driving slowly, to avoid changing lanes. “In between lanes you’re getting a lot of snow buildup and it’s slushy. What happens is, people keep doing lane changes and they end up losing control,” he said.

Air Canada and Porter Airlines have issued travel advisories that numerous flights may be delayed or cancelled because of severe weather in northeastern U.S., Halifax and British Columbia.

About 198 flights, or 16.8 per cent of today’s scheduled flights, were cancelled, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority monitoring Pearson airport said. A Porter Airlines spokesman said about a dozen flights to Newark and Boston have been cancelled. Travellers are advised to check their flight status before making their way to the airport.

-- Gloria Er-Chua, Staff Reporter

Heavy snow expected for parts of GTA

A snowstorm is working its way from Windsor just in time for Tuesday evening’s rush hour in the GTA.

Snowfall has already hit London, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson. Snow is expected to fall in the GTA around 5 p.m. Five to 10 cm of snow is expected to fall with an overnight low of -8C.

Coulson said the storm will be compounded by the lake effect, whereby cool northeast winds pick up moisture along Lake Erie and dump it as snow once it hits land.

This means that places like Hamilton, Oakville and Burlington region will receive more snow than the rest of the GTA. And the wind may cause additional problems.

“There will be a steady wind of 20 km/h throughout the night, which could cause visibility problems,” Coulson said.

Snow bursts have already fallen on Hamilton due to this lake effect, and when combined with the storm, up to 20 cm of snow could fall on the Golden Horseshoe region by Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, a massive snowfall caused six southern states to declare emergencies Monday, shutting down schools, universities and government offices. That system will hit New England Tuesday and will drop as much as 30 cm of snow as it crawls up the east coast. A number of arriving and departing flights have also been cancelled at Pearson International Airport. Cancellations include cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, Boston and Fredericton.

--Liam Casey, Staff Reporter

Airlines warn of turmoil as snow heads for U.S. northeast

Unclaimed bags in the foreground as travelers retrieve their luggage at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Dec. 28, 2010. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

With more snow forecast for the Northeast this weekend, major U.S. airlines hit hard by a December blizzard are warning of delays and cancellations and waiving the usual fees to change flights.

American, United and Continental all say there could be travel disruptions at large airports such as Newark, LaGuardia and JFK in the New York City area. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches and advisories from eastern Pennsylvania to Vermont ahead of the storm.

AMR Corp.'s American said Thursday that customers scheduled to fly to, from or through 14 airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts on Saturday or Sunday can change their itinerary without paying the usual $150 rebooking fee if they begin their rescheduled trip no later than Monday.

Delta Air Lines Inc. made the same offer for weekend travel to those states plus Rhode Island if the rescheduled trip starts on or before next Friday. Customers could get hit with a higher fare.

United and Continental, owned by United Continental Holdings Inc., waived their $150 change fee for travel at 14 airports in the Northeast between Friday and Monday. They said they would also waive any difference in fare if the rescheduled trip starts by Jan. 23.

JetBlue, AirTran and Frontier also said they would waive change fees.

Airlines often drop the fees when bad weather is forecast, and they advise passengers to call and check on flights before heading to the airport.

The airlines are still reeling from late-December storms that caused the cancellation of more than 10,000 flights and delayed travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers. Aviation data provider FlightStats.com said North American airlines canceled more than 29,000 flights last month, up from about 21,000 in December 2009.

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Wednesday that severe weather in the U.S. and Europe last month will cut $45 million from its fourth-quarter earnings. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report adjusted earnings of about $210 million for the period.

George Hobica of travel website airfarewatchdog.com said airlines are canceling more flights ahead of time to avoid penalties when planes sit on the tarmac for more than three hours.

Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView, which tracks airport delays, said airlines were trying to make the best out of a bad weather situation by waiving rebooking penalties and using Twitter to warn passengers early about possible delays.

"There's definitely a shift in how airlines are responding to the weather," he said. "Gone are the days when they'd just say, 'It's weather and there's nothing we can do about it.'"

--The Associated Press

Workers remove snow from the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Dec. 28, 2010. (DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

2010 warmest year ever for Canada

Storm drains were unable to cope as heavy rains from Hurricane Igor hit St.John's, N.L. in September. Paul Daly/CANADIAN PRESS

Did we miss something?

Oh yeah, winter.

Last year was the warmest in Canadian history. The combination of El Nino, melting polar ice and climate change ensured the country bypassed winter almost entirely, says Environment Canada.

“Winter didn’t exist in Canada in 2010,” says David Phillips, senior climatologist.

Atlantic Canadians wait for power to be restored

Gusts of wind whipped the snow around pedestrians near City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday, December 27, 2010. (David Maialetti/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

HALIFAX - It may be Wednesday before all power is restored in New Brunswick after the fourth storm in as many weeks descended on Atlantic Canada. A spokeswoman for NB Power says that some of the 8,800 customers without power at noon Tuesday will still be awaiting electricity overnight.

Meghan Gerrish says that heavy, wet snow and strong gusts caused damage to lines in Sussex, Miramichi and Bouctouche, as well as the province’s northeast. She says that crews have to work through dozens of incidents of downed power lines, and it will take until Wednesday to complete the work in northern New Brunswick communities.

Gerrish was hopeful most power in the Sussex area would be on by Tuesday night. In Nova Scotia, all but a few customers in the Annapolis Valley had power again by the middle of the day, after thousands spent Monday in the dark. In Prince Edward Island, electricity was also restored in most locations.

Northern New Brunswick and western Prince Edward Island saw up to 30 centimetres of snow and blizzard-like conditions on Monday night. However, projected storm surges did not prove to be as severe as feared along the Northumberland Strait.

Karl Wilmot, a manager with New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Organization, said there was localized flooding but no reports of serious damage along the province’s eastern coast. He said that teams of inspectors are back on the road providing assessments of damage caused by the previous three storms.

The province has seen over 100 people forced from their homes by coastal storm surges and overflowing rivers. To date, at least a dozen homes have been damaged beyond repair, he said.

Ernie MacGillivray, executive director of emergency services, has said estimated damage could reach $50 million. That includes both insurance claims and disaster relief that will be requested from government.

Meanwhile, police say slippery roads played a role in a fatal accident near Fredericton, P.E.I. on Monday. A 25-year-old Island man was killed when an eastbound minivan lost control and was struck by westbound pickup on Route 2.

-- The Canadian Press