Toronto set to see coldest temperatures of the season so far this weekend

Toronto has benefitted from a pretty merciful winter so far this season, with the weather staying above 0 C for the most part and keeping the snow at bay.

But you'll want to layer up for those few essential trips out of the house in the coming days, because we're in for a cold spell more appropriate for this time of year.

According to The Weather Network, the city could dip as low as -10 C for the first time so far this winter as a chilly system moves into Southern Ontario.

Today is expected to be the coldest day of the week — Toronto is currently -4 C but feeling more like -11 C — but a "more consistent cold pattern" will be settling in over the weekend and continuing into next week, bringing with it those lower temps.

Today actually feels like January (near seasonal temps). Sunshine early will mix w/ increasing clouds & scattered flurries; A period of snow overnight w/ 1-3 cm; Mostly cloudy w/ sunny breaks, passing flurries, windy & much milder Thursday; Colder & flurries Friday; Cold weekend pic.twitter.com/MKfdyZDvYq

— Doug Gillham (@gtaweather1) January 20, 2021

As TWN Meteorologist Doug Gillham notes in a forecast, this is the latest into January that we've ever seen this kind of typical Canadian climate: the previous record for latest first day of -10 C temps in the region was Jan. 3, 2016.

There will also be some widespread snow as part of a clipper system that will bring 5-10 cm of accumulation and some fierce winds further north in cottage country starting tomorrow, and up to 20 cm in more northwestern parts of the province.

Toronto and areas south of the 401 are only expected to see 5 cm or less, if any, and will actually get some warmer weather above 0 by Thursday afternoon before temps drop once again.

We seem to have evaded the dreaded polar vortex that we were anticipating for the end of the month and the messy mixed precipitation we were due to get last weekend, but things will definitely be feeling closer to what we'd usually expect this time of year instead of the mild start we got to the season.