Heavy snow storm expected to shatter records in Ontario on Wednesday

One whopper of a snowstorm is in store for much of Ontario this Wednesday, with as much as 20 cm of accumulation expected in Toronto over the course of mere hours.

Environment Canada maintains that a "significant snowfall" will impact the City of Toronto tomorrow, making travel conditions difficult as squalls obscure visibility in and around the region.

Flurries are forecast to begin hitting the GTA early on Wednesday morning before intensifying around noon. According to the Weather Network, conditions should "be at their worst after lunch and through the afternoon hours into the evening commute."

Snowfall rates of 1 to 3 cm per hour are expected at times, though parts of the city closer to Lake Ontario could see even heavier precipitation. Combined with winds of up to 60 km/h, meteorologists say whiteouts are possible.

Confidence continues to increase in snowfall accumulations from Wednesday to Thursday! Here is an updated look at chance of snowfall over 10 cm over southern Ontario ❄️
View the special weather statement here 👉 https://t.co/VKkSKU3O87#ONstorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/iwCgE6wxsu

— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) January 23, 2023

Whether Toronto gets 20 cm, 15 cm or even just 10 cm, tomorrow's snowfall total will likely smash previous records for Jan. 25; The highest on record, per Environment Canada, was 7.8 cm in 2005.

Temperatures will stay pretty mild, fortunately, hitting a low of - 3 C overnight on Wednesday and - 9 C on Thursday, but we're far from out of the woods yet when it comes to nasty winter weather.

"Several storm systems [are] expected to follow behind Wednesday's Texas low, bringing much more wintry weather back into clear focus for the region as we end off the month," reads an update published by The Weather Network on Tuesday.

"A more wintry pattern will stay locked in for the final days of January and into early February, with an active set-up expected to continue as we march through the heart of the winter season."