Frost advisory in effect for Toronto as wintry weather system approaches

Today, in further evidence that COVID-19 actually killed the entire City of Toronto and left us in some type of strange dystopian purgatory where summer no longer exists and Randy's Patties is closed, a frost advisory has been declared for Canada's largest metropolis. At the end of April.

Environment Canada sent out a weather alert for Toronto just after 9:30 a.m. this morning, warning that "temperatures are forecast to fall to the freezing mark overnight, resulting in patchy frost."

"Some plants may be damaged or even destroyed by frost," reads the alert. "Cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas. Take preventative measures to protect frost-sensitive plants and trees."

While this type of alert is common in October and November, it hits differently when issued at the tail end of spring.

If the federal weather agency is correct, frost is expected to form Wednesday night (April 27) when temperatures sink to -2 C.

With an expected daytime high of just 6 C and snow in the forecast, Wednesday's temperatures will fall well below the date's average high of 14.4 C.

The frost is expected well into Thursday, April 28 — a calendar date with average daytime high of 14.3 C — before temperatures begin climbing again at a painfully slow and unusual pace.

"After a warm start to the week, a trough will bring much cooler air and temperatures struggling to hit the double-digit mark on Tuesday," reads an update from the Weather Network.

"By Tuesday night, a quick burst of Arctic air moves into the lower Great Lakes region with temperatures falling around the freezing mark. We could see the potential for snow across central and southern Ontario throughout Tuesday overnight... The flurries will become widespread Wednesday morning."

Fortunately for people in Ontario who don't live directly on a Great Lake, temps are expected to rebound a bit this weekend.

But not in Toronto. Never in Toronto.

"The end of the week will finally feature a few days with abundant sunshine and a warming trend back to near seasonal for southern Ontario," notes the Weather Network. 

"However, an easterly wind will develop off Lake Ontario this weekend, a familiar trend this spring, so that will hold temperatures back a few degrees around the west end of Lake Ontario including the GTA."

On the upside, it's a great time to shop for new parkas if you've already stored yours away for the season.