Mother Nature is sending a chilly reminder that winter is not done with us yet. A major winter storm is threatening all of southern Ontario by early this week.
A Special Weather Statement is in place for London, Middlesex, Lambton, Windsor, Essex, Chatham-Kent, Elgin, and Huron-Perth. A Winter Storm Warning is in place for Oxford County, Simcoe-Delhi-Norfolk and eastward towards Hamilton and Niagara.
Environment Canada expects that a developing low pressure centre currently over the northwestern United States will move just south of the Great Lakes on Monday. Snow is forecast to begin over southwestern Ontario during the day Monday and then spread over much of the remainder of southern Ontario by Monday night and into Tuesday.
Cold arctic air already in place over the Great Lakes is creating conditions for light, dry snow, resulting in localized blowing snow as winds strengthen during the storm.
Total snowfall amounts of 15 to 25 centimetres are likely. Amounts closer to 30 centimetres are possible in the Hamilton to Niagara corridor, due to added moisture from Lake Ontario. Snowfall will likely be appreciably less north of the greater Toronto area towards Georgian Bay and into parts of southwestern and eastern Ontario. The snow is expected to taper off Tuesday night in most areas.
This snowstorm has the potential to significantly affect travel due to accumulating snow and blowing snow resulting in hazardous winter driving conditions. Environment Canada will likely issue winter storm watches and warnings as the storm track and amounts become more certain.
