What to know
- A winter system is expected to move through Ontario on Friday, bringing a mix of snow, rain and ice pellets and creating messy travel conditions on Boxing Day.
- Parts of northern Ontario could see the heaviest snowfall, with 5 to 20 cm possible between Thunder Bay and Wawa, while southern regions may see 5 to 15 cm.
- Snow is expected to begin in Toronto and the GTA late Friday afternoon, potentially disrupting commuters before transitioning to ice pellets in the evening.
- Forecasters warn that uncertainty remains, but commuters are urged to check the forecast and prepare for difficult travel across southern Ontario.
A mix of snow and ice pellets could make Boxing Day a messy one, with 5 to 15 centimetres of snow forecast for parts of the GTA, according to The Weather Network.
A mix of snow and ice pellets could make Boxing Day a messy one, with 5 to 15 centimetres of snow forecast for parts of the GTA, according to The Weather Network.
A significant weather system is expected to move through the province on Friday. The system is forecast to bring a mix of rain and snow, the network reported.
Northern Ontario is expected to see the heaviest snowfall, especially in areas between Thunder Bay and Wawa, where accumulations could reach 5 to 20 centimetres.
In Toronto and parts of the GTA, snowfall is expected to begin in the late afternoon, potentially disrupting Boxing Day commuters and shoppers. By the evening, the snow could transition into ice pellets, according to The Weather Network.
The system is expected to move out of the region by Saturday morning. By then, some areas could see total snowfall amounts of 5 to 15 centimetres.
Although precipitation could be significant, the temperatures for the rest of the week are set to be relatively mild. A mix of sun and cloud is expected for Christmas day with a high of 1 C, while daytime highs are forecasted to be around zero on Friday, 2 C on Saturday, and 3 C on Sunday.
Despite the messy forecast, uncertainty remains for parts of southern Ontario, including Toronto.
“This is one of those weather scenarios where we’re quite confident that it’s going to be messy on Friday, but what exactly it looks like, those finer details, like how much of which type of precipitation, is still in question,” Environment Canada Meteorologist Trudy Kidd said in an interview with Now Toronto.
Kidd said that even with uncertainty around precipitation types, people should take extra precautions when travelling.
“If they can arrange their travel plans to travel on Thursday or the weekend instead, that would be better,” she said. “It would be less stressful to be on the roads when we’re not expecting such a messy weather system.”
She emphasized the importance of commuters checking the forecast before heading out.
“People can definitely expect messy conditions on Friday, with difficult travel likely,” she said. “No matter where you are in southern Ontario, that’s the main message.”
