After a day that saw ice pellets, freezing rain and snow in some regions, GTA residents should expect more winter-like weather over night, Environment Canada says.
The national weather agency is warning drivers that the night commute may be worse as another band of freezing rain and ice pellets moves across the region.
The freezing rain warning was also expanded to more parts of Ontario, including Caledon, Barrie, Orillia, Midland, Belleville, Peterborough, Kingston and York and Durham regions.
Environment Canada says the accumulation of ice could lead to downed power lines and possibly cause widespread power outages.
"The last time we saw a storm like this in April was probably 10 years ago," Peter Kimbell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada told The Canadian Press on Thursday.
"The most intense precipitation is actually going to be likely this evening and overnight."
Colder air clashing with a low-pressure system in Illinois is expected to produce a mix of ice pellets, snow and freezing rain, creating unpredictable weather conditions with a "potential for a major ice storm," according to the Environment Canada website.
"The maximum ice creation will probably be west of Toronto in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Woodstock, those areas," Kimbell said.
The winter storm warning covers much of central Ontario from the Bruce Peninsula through Barrie, Peterborough, Belleville and Kingston. A storm watch has also been posted for Eastern and Central Ontario, including the Ottawa-Cornwall region all the way east to Georgian Bay.
Outside the GTA, the Ontario Provincial Police set up a temporary collision reporting centre near Hwy. 400 and King Rd due to the number of accidents Thursday morning.
Southwestern Ontario, including Windsor, Chatham and Sarnia is expected to receive between 50 to 80 mm of rain by Friday, while in the GTA and in the Hamilton-Niagara region, between 10 to 20 mm of freezing rain is possible.
Mixed precipitation is expected to continue until Friday and gradually subside with temperatures rising above freezing, Environment Canada predicts.
Airport travel delays
At Pearson, at least 200 flights were cancelled Thursday. Many were local flights to Ottawa, London, Ont., and other Canadian destinations.
Pearson International Airport, Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines have issued travel advisories, warning that flights may be cancelled or delayed as a result of the extreme weather. Airlines are advising its passengers to check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport.
The City of Toronto on Wednesday issued a news release that extra beds in shelters will be available. An extreme weather alert has also been issued in the city.
With files from The Canadian Press
