It’s time to put away the umbrella and dig out the parka – the Greater Toronto Area is about to be hit by a blast of “frigid Arctic air.”
“We may see the coldest temperatures of the entire winter coming up on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” says David Phillips, a senior meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Environment Canada issued a number of special weather statements Sunday morning, warning that the coldest weather so far this season will arrive in the evening and is expected to continue throughout the week.
The cities affected include:
- Toronto
- Burlington
- Oakville
- Milton
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Hamilton
- Barrie
- Orillia
- Collingwood
- Newmarket
- Pickering
- Vaughan
“Extreme cold warnings will likely be required at times during the week due to the combination of cold temperatures and brisk winds,” says the special weather statement.
Temperatures could fall as low as –20 C in the City of Toronto, with the exception being right along the shore of the Great Lakes, where it’s not likely to be quite as cold.
Much of Canada is already experiencing very cold temperatures. Extreme cold weather warnings were in place Sunday for much of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northern Ontario. In Winnipeg, temperatures could feel like –45C with the wind chill on Sunday, says Environment Canada.
Extreme cold weather alerts are not exactly rare – last winter there were 36 for Toronto.
Snow squalls for some areas
“Significant” snow squalls could potentially affect areas to the southeast of the Great Lakes on Sunday, according to the special weather statement for Toronto.
A snow squall “watch” was issued Sunday morning for Barrie, Collingwood, Orillia, Newmarket, Uxbridge, and nearby areas, meaning that snow squalls are likely in those areas.
“Visibilities will be significantly reduced due to the heavy snow combined with blowing snow, and snow will quickly accumulate.”
