Coldest temperatures in years could come to Toronto as polar vortex descends on Ontario
After a warmer-than-normal January, February is off to a frigid start in parts of Ontario.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come.
A blast of arctic air will infiltrate the lower Great Lakes area beginning Thursday night, bringing cities like Toronto their coolest temperatures of the season so far. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
The coldest period of weather looks to be between Friday pre-dawn and Saturday pre-dawn. Toronto may not see temperatures climb out of the minus double digits all day, and the forecast low is expected to be into the minus twenties.
While there were several days last January where the temperature dipped into -20 C territory, the last time the temperature fell below -22 C in Toronto was Jan. 31, 2019.
It’s not just the core temperatures that are concerning. With the windchill it could feel close to -30 C at the peak of the cold spell. Those kinds of wind chills increase the risk of frostbite to exposed skin, with only 10 to 30 minutes of exposure needed in the elements.
Toronto could also to come close to breaking daily temperature records. The record low for Feb. 3 is -25 C (set back in 1955) and for Feb. 4 it is -24.4 C (set in 1946.)
On Monday, the City of Toronto issued an extreme cold weather alert. Extreme Cold Warnings issued by Environment Canada extend from the Prairies to Labrador and blanket northern Ontario.
While this cold snap in the GTA may feel extreme, it is also expected to be relatively short-lived. The temperature is forecast to be back above freezing by Sunday, and into the mid-single digits by next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's inflation rate falls to 1.6% in September, smallest yearly increase since 2021
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate continued to slow in September as drivers paid lower prices for gasoline than they did last year.
Canada spat leads India newspapers, as analysts await reactions from peer countries
Canada's decision to expel New Delhi's top envoy and five other diplomats is front-page news in India, as an analyst wonders how other countries will respond.
Deepfake romance scam raked in US$46 million from men across Asia, police say
In a news conference Monday, police in the Asian financial hub announced the arrests of more than two dozen members of the alleged scam ring, which they say targeted men from Taiwan to Singapore and as far away as India.
Canadian court to consider when minors can be sentenced as adults
Canada's highest court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday on when a young person can be considered an adult for sentencing purposes.
Incredible new details of Shackleton's sunken Endurance ship revealed in 3D scan
A new 3D scan has revealed previously unseen details of the wreck of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton’s HMS Endurance, which was found in 2022 – more than a century after the ship sank.
Carbon pricing rebates land in bank accounts as Liberals defend embattled policy
Canadians are set to receive carbon pricing rebates Tuesday, as the Liberals defend one of their most embattled policies.
Father of 10-year-old girl found dead in the U.K. called police from Pakistan to say he killed her
The father of a 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England fled to Pakistan and called U.K. police from there to say he had killed her, a jury heard Monday.
Airbnb guests east of Toronto steal quarter of a million dollars worth of jewelry: police
Four guests at an Airbnb east of Toronto made off with a quarter of million dollars worth of jewelry following their stay, police say.
How did a killing at a Sikh temple lead to Canada and India expelling each other's diplomats?
Relations between India and Canada are at a low point as the countries expelled each other's top diplomats over an ongoing dispute about the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.