Environment Canada says heavy snow, extreme cold and reduced visibility are expected in parts of Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada over the next several days.
Environment Canada issued several winter weather warnings across Canada on Friday, with some parts of the country expected to receive up to 40 centimetres of snow heading into the first weekend of 2026.
In Eastern Quebec there were multiple snowfall warnings in place as of 12:00 p.m. EST, and parts of the Gaspe Peninsula were expected to see between 25 and 40 cm of snow accumulation from Friday until Saturday morning.
A winter storm is expected to intensify Friday south of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence between Matane and Grande-Vallée, Environment Canada said on its website.
In addition to heavy snowfall, high winds are expected, according to the department.
“Westerly winds reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour will develop and could continue until Saturday morning,” Environment Canada warned.
“Roads and walkways will likely be very difficult to navigate. Avoid non-essential travel and outdoor activities.”
Parts of Quebec’s Cote Nord region were also under snowfall warnings Friday, with up to 20 cm of snowfall expected in the region.
There were also cold weather warnings issued for parts of the province to the north and northwest of Quebec City, with wind chill values expected to reach nearly -40 overnight.
“Cold temperatures combined with northwesterly winds will produce extreme wind chill values over these areas,” Environment Canada said.
In Montreal, meanwhile, the department is forecasting a chilly but mainly sunny weekend ahead, with highs of -14 C on both Saturday and Sunday.
Ontario
In Ontario, much of the southwestern part of the province was under a snow squall warning Friday, with some areas expected to see snowfall amounts of up to 25 cm.
The warnings spanned the entirety of the Bruce Peninsula and stretched east beyond Orillia to the northwest of Lake Simcoe. Warnings were also in place for most of the eastern side of Lake Huron as far south as Grand Bend.
Areas between Luke Huron and Georgian Bay are expected to see the most hazardous conditions, Environment Canada said.
The strongest snow squall is forecast to move southward today before moving northward this evening and then shifting southward again Friday night. Travel will likely be hazardous, forecasters said.
Visibility will likely be suddenly reduced to near zero at times. Roads and walkways will likely be difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
Parts of Northern Ontario east of Lake Superior were also under snow squall warnings Friday, and Environment Canada said that area could see up to 30 cm of snow throughout the day.
In the Greater Toronto Area, the department is forecasting a 40 per cent chance of flurries Saturday, with a high of -4 C, followed by a mix of sun and cloud on Sunday with a high of -5 C.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa region is expected to see a mix of sun and cloud this weekend, with daytime highs of around -13 C.
Atlantic Canada
In Nova Scotia, the counties of Annapolis, Kings, Hants and Colchester were under a snow squall watch as of midday on Friday, with five to 10 cm of snow accumulation expected over the course of the day.
In Halifax, Environment Canada is forecasting a mix of sun and cloud on Saturday with a 30 per cent chance of flurries, rising to 60 per cent on Sunday with a high of -8 C.
Elsewhere in the Maritimes, there’s also a 30 per cent chance of flurries on Saturday in Charlottetown, with increasing cloudiness expected on Sunday and a high of -13 C both days.
Fredericton is expected to see mainly sunny skies this weekend with daytime highs of -14 C.
In Newfoundland, St. John’s is set to experience milder weekend temperatures, with highs around the freezing mark and a chance of rain mixed with snow on Saturday.
Western Canada
Meanwhile, there were fog advisories issued Friday for parts of southeastern Alberta, stretching from the U.S. and Saskatchewan borders to Calgary.
Further north between Calgary and Edmonton, there were freezing drizzle warnings in place for Friday morning, with conditions expected to improve later in the day.
In Edmonton, there’s a 30 per cent chance of flurries Saturday morning, with a sun and cloud mix expected on Sunday. Forecasters say temperatures will remain steady near -15 C.
In Winnipeg, snow is expected on Saturday and Sunday, while temperatures are expected to drop to -18 C Saturday afternoon, creating a frostbite risk, Environment Canada said.
There was a 60 per cent chance of light snow in Regina on Friday, with mainly cloudy skies expected on Saturday and a mix of sun and cloud on Sunday, with a high of -8 C.
In B.C.’s inland North Coast east of Prince Rupert, Environment Canada issued a fog advisory Friday morning, warning that visibility could be reduced to zero at times. Conditions were also expected to improve there by the afternoon.
Further south in Vancouver and Victoria, rain is expected this weekend with daytime highs between 7 C and 9 C.
Territories
In Canada’s territories, Nunavut’s capital Iqaluit is expected to experience unseasonably warm temperatures this weekend, with a high of 3 C on Saturday and 2 C on Sunday. Periods of rain or snow are expected on both days.
Meanwhile, in Whitehorse, daytime highs of around -25 C are expected this weekend, with a 60 per cent chance of flurries on Sunday. In Yellowknife, windchill values are expected to reach -44 Saturday morning; conditions that could lead to “frostbite in minutes,” Environment Canada said.
