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For the most part, the weather hasn’t been, well, so frightful in much of Canada.
But things changed drastically post-Christmas as people in large swaths of the country woke up on Boxing Day Friday to some treacherous weather: heavy snowfall, ice pellets, fog and pretty much everything else Mother Nature could throw in.
Central Yukon is still in a deep freeze, but it’s recovering somewhat after facing possible rolling blackouts due to an Arctic ridge of high pressure. Environment Canada says light winds combined with bitterly cold temperatures will produce extreme wind chill values ranging from –50 to –55 C, but temperature and wind chill values were expected to improve through Friday.
Yukon has been grappling with an extreme cold snap for the past three weeks, with temperatures in some communities dropping to –50 C. (Virginie Ann/CBC)
Then there’s Newfoundland and Labrador. If you’re thinking of heading out to capitalize on Boxing Day finds, you may want to rethink that. Areas facing winter storm warnings run from Cartwright to Lodge Bay, with heavy snow combined with strong winds resulting in blizzard-like conditions, according to Environment Canada.
Total snowfall was estimated at 30 to 50 centimetres, with the highest amounts inland, and maximum northerly wind gusts of 110 to 120 km/h were expected to end later Friday afternoon.
“Avoid non-essential travel and outdoor activities,” the national weather agency warned. “Protect yourself from wind, cold and disorientation by staying sheltered, indoors or with your vehicle.”
Click on this interactive map on the red, orange and yellow areas to get more information on the weather alerts across Canada:
Ontario hasn’t been left out of the wild winter weather.
Heavy fog set in throughout various parts of the province, with southern and southwestern Ontario, as well as Niagara Region, experiencing some messy — and potentially dangerous — elements.
In eastern Ontario, the Picton and Napanee areas could be hit with up to 10 centimetres of snow on Boxing Day afternoon, Environment Canada said, with wind gusts as high as 50 km/h. Another two to four centimetres could fall on Friday evening before tapering off after midnight.
Environment Canada’s special weather statement said Waterloo Region was expected to get five to eight centimetres of snowfall, with five to 10 centimetres anticipated for Guelph. Ice pellets mixed in with snow and freezing rain were also on the weather menu.
People in Windsor, London and the Hamilton area were also warned to watch out for weather that could create slippery road conditions. In the London area in southwestern Ontario, there were reports of dozens of weather-related outages, leaving thousands without power.
In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), significant snowfall made for some Hallmark movie-like scenery but sometimes ugly conditions for outings.
Environment Canada urged allowing extra time for travel for those heading out, citing “challenging” travel and reduced visibility “at times.” Snowfall was expected to continue into Friday evening, with accumulations of eight to 12 centimetres.
Despite the snowfall warning, it didn’t stop some people from going about their regular business, like driving or taking Fido on that dog walk.
Streetcars make their way through a Boxing Day snowstorm in Toronto on Friday. Environment Canada is urging those heading out to allow extra time for travel. Snowfall is expected to continue into Friday evening, with accumulations of eight to 12 centimetres. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press)
