A hefty dose of snow is in the forecast on the first official day of winter.

Environment Canada says snow is expected to begin falling late Thursday afternoon and will bring between five and 10 centimetres by Friday morning.

On Friday, an additional five centimetres is possible with a risk of freezing drizzle throughout the day.

The conditions have prompted the national weather agency to issue a special weather statement for Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Halton Hills, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Pickering, Oshawa, southern Durham Region, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and Markham.

“Some areas could see locally higher snowfall amounts, possible in the 10 to 15 (centimetre) range, under a heavier band of snow tonight,” Environment Canada’s weather advisory read.

“Motorists should be prepared for reductions to visibility and poor winter travelling conditions this evening into Friday. The Friday morning rush hour commute could be particularly slow and messy.”

Pearson International Airport is also warning its customers of the weather's potential impact on flights. The Greater Toronto Airport Authority predicts that Thursday will be the busiest day for pre-holiday travel at the airport, with more than 130,000 passengers expected to pass through. In a tweet, Pearson urged travellers to keep an eye on the forecast and their flight status before heading to the airport.