Toronto to break another heat record before temperatures plummet by over 20 degrees

Toronto's winter that wasn't is gearing up to break yet another heat record this week, though the balmy temperatures and potential thunderstorms will be short-lived, and mercury will plummet back to sub-zero conditions by later in the week.

Southern Ontario is in for a wild week of weather marked by some particularly above-seasonal warmth, the potential for February thunderstorms, and a nosedive back into typical freezing temperatures for this time of year.

The region will bask in warmth for the first few days of the week, with The Weather Network attributing the mild conditions to "an upper-level ridge building over the Great Lakes and a broad low-pressure system churning over the U.S. Midwest."

Thermometers could peak at a scorching 15 C on Wednesday, according to Environment Canada, though rain will make for soggy conditions, hampering any potential enjoyment of temperatures more typical of late April than the tail-end of February.

The highest temperature ever recorded on any February 28 in Toronto was 14.4 C, back in 2016. Wednesday's temperatures are on track to beat this record and become the new warmest Feb. 28 on record in the city.

Toronto's warmest-ever day on record of any February came on Feb. 23, 2017, when temperatures soared to 17.7 C – a record unlikely to be matched on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, temperatures will take a nosedive on Wednesday night, potentially dropping by a staggering 21 degrees in just a few hours, forecast to drop to -6 C in the overnight hours before rising slightly to -1 C on Thursday morning.

The Weather Network reports that a cold front slicing across the Great Lakes will bring "a tremendous temperature drop through Wednesday night that could rival some of the most dramatic cooldowns in recent memory," and warns of "the risk for a flash freeze if the precipitation linger as temperatures drop."

Despite this ominous forecast, it appears Toronto is due for even more unseasonably warm conditions in the days ahead.

Meteorologists predict another day with temps rising into the teens next Monday, with forecasts calling for highs of 13 C and sunny skies.