Toronto is about to plunge into coldest stretch of weather since last winter

Toronto is gearing up to plunge into its coldest stretch of the season, with temperatures dropping well below seasonal norms. 

According to a new report by The Weather Network, a surge of Arctic air in southern Ontario has resulted in the coldest day the region has seen in nine months. On Monday, daytime highs will reach -6 degrees C in Toronto, representing the lowest high the city's experienced since January and February. 

Monday's temperatures are roughly 10 C below seasonal averages, according to the weather channel, and the frigid cold is not expected to cease anytime soon. 

Thanks to the wind, temperatures will dip to -10 C overnight on Monday, but it'll actually feel closer to -16 C. On Tuesday, Toronto is expected to see some scattered flurries, and while the daytime high will be much more tolerable at -1 C, the wind will make it feel like -7 C. 

By mid-week, we can expect temperatures to rise a bit before plunging again on the weekend and early next week. On Saturday, we'll see a daytime high of -3 C, but the wind chill will make it feel like it's -7 C. Sunday will be similarly frigid, with a high of -5 C and a wind chill of -13 C. 

The coldest point of The Weather Network's forecast arrives next Monday morning, when temperatures will sink to -13 C, feeling like -18 C. 

"Colder-than-normal conditions are anticipated to persist through much of December," the weather channel notes. "Although a few milder days may occur, no significant shift in the weather pattern is expected this month. Stay safe out there as hypothermia can be a real risk this time of year." 

The report mirrors a 60-day extended weather outlook released by The Old Farmer's Almanac, which predicted frequent rain and snow showers at the beginning of the month. Between Dec. 12 and 15, the outlook predicted a small break from the precipitation but not the city temperatures. 

From Dec. 16 to 21, the outlook anticipates that southern Ontario will see more snow showers along with frigid temperatures, before transitioning to milder temperatures during the holiday break. 

Overall, the Almanac says temperatures in December will average -6 C, which is approximately 3 C colder than usual for the region.