Toronto under freezing rain warning and a huge dump of snow could be next
Toronto woke up to what have become very familiar-looking grey skies on Thursday, accompanied by a weather alert from Environment Canada forecasting the coming arrival of freezing rain that could encase roads and sidewalks in ice.
And that's just the start of the fun, as a messy mix of weather is expected to bring just about every type of precipitation to Toronto through the weekend and into the start of the work week.
Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning for the City of Toronto at 6 a.m. on Thursday, cautioning the public that "ice accretion up to a few millimetres is possible on untreated surfaces" and that the system will present risks "beginning this morning and ending this afternoon."
According to Environment Canada, freezing rain and the potential for mixed ice pellets and snow is expected to begin this morning, though these conditions should be most noticeable in areas of the city north of Highway 401.
⚠️ Freezing Rain Warnings issued in southern Ontario ⚠️
— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) January 18, 2023
Freezing rain is expected along with ice pellets and snow tomorrow.
‼️ Please take care on roads and walkways as icy surfaces are likely!
Watch for warning updates here: https://t.co/rdLGKsi7cU#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/JDAU5DUcLa
"Temperatures near Lake Ontario are more likely to remain above the freezing mark throughout the day so these areas are unlikely to see freezing rain," reads the warning, adding that "freezing rain will transition to rain or drizzle this afternoon as temperatures rise above zero."
EnvironCan warns people to take extra care, as "surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery," and suggests commuters allow extra travel time, as "there may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas."
But, unfortunately, Toronto won't get much of a reprieve, and snow will likely follow the rain.
👇 Here is a timeline of precipitation expected in southern Ontario tomorrow and Friday ⏲️
— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) January 18, 2023
Watch for warning updates here: https://t.co/lzTCfNMIlt#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/Cj4DPmcnjP
The Weather Network predicts around 1 cm of snow on Friday and another 1-3 cm on Sunday, but Toronto could see a significant dump of snow next week, with predictions of roughly 10 cm next Wednesday.
Environment Canada urges the public to monitor its alerts and forecasts as conditions evolve, but for now, commuters should expect a very messy close to the week.
