Despite the mild spring-like start to the week, snow is back in the forecast for this weekend.
A special weather statement is in effect for Toronto and the GTHA, as an Alberta clipper brings widespread snow and gusty winds to southern Ontario.
The snow is not expected to affect the morning commute, beginning between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with the heaviest falling through the middle of the day.
“Although total snowfall amounts are not expected to be overly significant, the hourly snowfall rates may result in roads and highways becoming quickly snow-covered and slippery,” says the National Weather Service, adding that snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm per hour can be expected.
“Hazardous travel conditions are expected.”
The snow will get lighter through the afternoon commute with rain mixing in along the Lakeshore, including downtown Toronto, which will limit snowfall accumulation in that region.
Parts of northern York and Durham regions have a greater chance of picking up higher amounts, with upwards of 10 centimetres of snow possible. The snow is expected to be heavy and wet, making it the hard-to-shovel kind.
Lower amounts of snow, around three to four centimetres, switching to rain is more likely closer to Lake Ontario as temperatures will stay hovering around the freezing mark.
An Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving low-pressure system that comes from Alberta and moves through the Prairies and the Great Lakes region during the winter. It usually brings light snow and strong winds with it and colder temperatures as it departs.
Winds with this system will also be picking up throughout the day on Friday, with gusts over 50 or 60 kilometres an hour in the city.
Higher elevations of the Escarpment and Dundalk Highlands, including Caledon and Kitchener, are under a special weather statement from Environment and Climate Change Canada. These areas could see 10-15 cm of total snow and wind gusts as high as 80 km/h.
The cooler temperatures will continue through the weekend before another system arrives on Sunday.
It’s too early to predict how Sunday’s storm will play out, but multiple precipitation types are possible, including snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain.
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