Take advantage of the unusual November heat while you have it! Thursday will be the last day of above-season temperatures and sunshine before a major pattern change hits southern Ontario this weekend.
Falling temperatures and a snowy setup are expected, including heavy lake-effect snow flurries in traditional snow belt regions. This will be the first major, multi-day snow event of the season, so drivers are asked to prepare for changing and deteriorating conditions.
Flakes will also blow across sections of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) next week, marking the end of extended fall heat and the start of more December-like weather. More information on weather and impacts below.
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You’ll want to use any excuse to get outside on Thursday as temperatures soar well above seasonal values and plenty of sunshine splashes across southern Ontario. Daytime highs will still be warm on Friday, albeit at the end of prolonged mild autumn weather, but with rain spreading across southern parts of the region as the remnants of Nicole, a tropical system in the ‘Atlantic, go north.
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15-25mm of rain is expected in the GTA through Friday, and 30-50mm or more in the Niagara region and eastern Ontario.
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This weekend and beyond: December-like temperatures set in, heavy lake-effect snow threat
Conditions will also turn stormy and much colder behind the front, with flurries and lake-effect snow flurries expected to develop southeast of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay late Saturday and Sunday. This will be the first multi-day snowfall event of the season.
FORECAST: Winter storm builds in Northern Ontario with heavy snow and ice accumulations
The most affected areas could locally see between 10 and 20 cm of snow.
Colder-than-seasonal temperatures are expected to dominate next week and beyond, with temperatures more typical of early December at times.
This should bring additional lake effect snow to the traditional snow belt areas east and southeast of the Great Lakes.
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Parts of the GTA could even see flakes flying across the sky, and while no accumulations are expected because the ground is still warm, it will serve as a reminder that winter is on its way.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates in Ontario.