'A drop of 10 degrees in 15 minutes': Toronto temperatures plunge as cold front arrives
Toronto saw a dramatic temperature swing Wednesday that one meteorologist likened to "experiencing winter and spring in the same hour."
The day began with spring-like conditions, with the temperature reaching a high of 16.1 C at 11 a.m., which broke the record for the warmest Feb. 28 set in 1954 when the mercury hit 11.1 C.
However, the warmth didn't last as a cold front soon arrived and brought a chill over the city.
"It is like a roller coaster. It's dipping and diving," said Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"We had 16 degrees at noon, and 17 minutes later, it was six degrees. I mean, a drop of 10 degrees in just 15 minutes or so."
At 3 p.m., the temperature in the city dipped at the freezing mark – a 16-degree drop within just four hours.
"It's like weather wars breaking out. It is, in fact, the warm air duking out with the cold air," Phillips said, adding that Toronto residents should expect to see temperature swings in the next few days.
He noted that the city could break more temperature records next week.
"And of course, people are wondering, what are they going to wear? I mean, it's not just from one day to the next. It isn't. It's, in fact, it's almost by the minute you have to change your clothes," Phillips said.
When asked what was causing it, the climatologist said it was not due to climate change or El Nino, but "it is just the weird, wild and wacky weather that happens."
"What we're seeing is cold Arctic air duking it out with warm Gulf of Mexico air, and the battleground is over Toronto and southern Ontario," Phillips said.
Although Thursday will begin with wind chill values approaching -12 in the morning, the temperature will warm up to a high of 0 C later in the day.
Toronto will see above-seasonal temperatures return late this week, with a high of 5 C expected on Friday and 8 C on Saturday.
Double-digit daytime highs are in the forecast for Toronto on Sunday and Monday, as temperatures climb to 11 C and 12 C each day, respectively.
Strong winds cause scattered outages
Northwesterly winds gusting 70 to 80 km/h accompanied the arrival of the cold front on Wednesday afternoon.
Strong winds caused scattered outages across the city, leaving thousands without power. In Etobicoke, winds toppled down a large pine tree, damaging Toronto Hydro's equipment.
"We are closely monitoring this storm, and we have readied extra crews who are continuing restoration efforts and are ready to respond if needed," Toronto Hydro's spokesperson, Daniel McNeil, told CP24 Wednesday afternoon.
McNeil added that safety is their number one priority and said that Toronto Hydro is advising customers to contact them in the event that they come across down power lines and stay back 10 metres – about the length of a school bus.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Is there a cost to convenience? Canada approves new cancer immunotherapy treatment
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Canada's new dental program offering hope of free care to millions but many dentists aren't signed up
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
King Charles III returns to public duties with a trip to a cancer charity
King Charles III returned to public duties on Tuesday, visiting a cancer treatment charity and beginning his carefully managed comeback after the monarch's own cancer diagnosis sidelined him for three months.
NDP says Ottawa's new grocery task force isn't living up to government promises
The federal government says the task force it created to monitor and investigate grocery retailers' practices has not conducted any probes and doesn't have a mandate to take enforcement action.
A group of Toronto tenants have been on a rent strike for a year and say there's no resolution in sight
Dozens of tenants in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park area have now been withholding their rent for one year, and it’s unclear when the dispute will end.
U.K. police arrest man wielding a sword in east London, 5 people are taken to the hospital
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on Tuesday in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested, police said.
Archeologists search for remnants of Halifax's 250-year-old wall that surrounded the city
Archeologist Jonathan Fowler is using ground-penetrating radar to search for historic evidence of the massive wall that surrounded Halifax more than 250 years ago.