The Toronto area is facing yet another winter storm after getting off relatively easy with Tuesday's large dump of snow that was immediately washed away by rain and mild temperatures.

The region's brief taste of winter weather on Tuesday may have just been an appetizer for an even more powerful storm later in the week, as meteorologists warn of a "massive and powerful winter storm" with "significant snow totals" expected to arrive just in time for the weekend.

The Weather Network issued an ominous warning about the approaching storm on Wednesday morning, advising of a low-pressure system that will "rapidly intensify as it heads northeast into the Great Lakes region," bringing "widespread strong winds and heavy snow late Friday and into Saturday."

Meteorologists at The Weather Network state that this particular storm is forecast to undergo a process called "bombogenesis," which occurs when a low-pressure system's central pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in just 24 hours and can result in high winds and precipitation rates.

Before the storm's arrival, a weak clipper system will move from the U.S. Midwest through Southern Ontario on Thursday and sprinkle the region with a few centimetres of snow. Toronto proper will likely see up to three cm of snow on Thursday, while other parts of the region can expect as much as five cm.

Friday is when the real party begins, as another much stronger and colder system arrives in Ontario, bringing intense snowfall to the region, including Toronto.

The system will likely arrive in southwestern Ontario by Friday evening, and the entire province is expected to be covered by this storm by midnight Friday, setting the stage for a particularly messy weekend.

Forecasts predict snowfall totalling 10-20 cm across Ontario, with some areas expected to see deposits in excess of 20 cm. In Toronto, forecasts currently call for a range of 5-10 cm for Friday night into Saturday.

Heavy snowfall could be exacerbated by heavy winds, with the potential for blowing and drifting snow, major traffic disruptions, and potential localized wind damage and power outages.

Snow is just one-half of the missing winter weather Ontario has experienced this season, and it looks like cold will arrive soon, too. Toronto can expect the first deep freeze of the season to follow this weekend's storm, with temperatures plummeting into the negative double digits by mid-week.