Southern Ontario residents are bracing for a punishing weekend of winter weather as lake-effect snow squalls intensify, potentially dumping up to 60 centimetres of snow in some areas. The storm system, which began battering the region on Thursday with heavy snow and gale-force winds, continued into Friday morning, creating hazardous driving conditions and widespread power outages. Environment Canada has issued warnings for parts of the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, urging drivers to prepare for sudden whiteouts and reduced visibility.
According to forecasters, northwest winds gusting between 40 and 60 km/h are whipping up blowing snow across the province, with wind chills making temperatures feel as low as -12°C overnight. The squalls are forming in two main bands: one pushing southeast from Lake Huron, affecting communities along Highway 21 near Goderich and extending toward Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Stratford, Woodstock, and Brantford. "This will be a long-duration event with snow squalls likely persisting into Saturday morning, particularly near Lake Huron. Strong westerly winds gusting to 70 km/h are also expected. These strong winds will reduce visibility to near zero at times in local blowing snow," Environment Canada stated in its alert.
Drivers on Highways 401 and 403 should anticipate accumulating snow and intermittent whiteouts, with the squall occasionally reaching into Hamilton and Brantford. Thursday's blustery conditions already knocked out power to thousands of Hydro One customers, forcing crews to work through the night to restore service. As of early Friday, areas like Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Guelph, Halton Hills, Milton, Oshawa, Pickering, and Uxbridge were under snow squall warnings or special weather statements.
Farther north, a second band originating off Georgian Bay is tracking directly into Barrie, Lake Simcoe, and along Highway 400 toward the northeast Greater Toronto Area, including Oshawa. "Intense bands of lake effect snow off of Georgian Bay will affect the area today and tonight. These bands are not expected to shift much. Where the bands lock in, very heavy accumulations will be possible," the weather agency warned. Communities outside the primary squall zones can expect scattered flurries through the morning, with the system expected to weaken by Friday evening, though some bursts may linger into early Saturday.
Toronto itself is likely to dodge the heaviest snow on Friday, with mainly cloudy skies and a 40 per cent chance of flurries. Northwest winds could gust up to 50 km/h, pushing the high near zero degrees Celsius, while morning wind chills hovered around -8°C. Overnight, conditions shift to partly cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries and a low near -5°C, with wind chills dropping to -12°C.
The weekend forecast offers little respite, as a new storm system—a Colorado low—is projected to sweep into southern Ontario late Saturday and into Sunday. This system will bring a more uniform layer of snow starting near Windsor on Saturday evening, reaching the Greater Toronto Area overnight and Ottawa by early Sunday. Snowbelt regions, already hammered by the lake-effect squalls, could see an additional 10 to 15 centimetres over the weekend, pushing totals higher in vulnerable spots.
Environment Canada predicts snowfall amounts of 50 centimetres in areas off Georgian Bay and up to 60 centimetres in northeastern Ontario as the system lingers into Saturday. For most of southern Ontario, widespread totals of 5 to 10 centimetres are anticipated, though shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario might see less if precipitation mixes with rain. Saturday's daytime weather calls for a mix of sun and cloud with a slight chance of morning flurries and a high of plus 1°C.
Snow is set to return Saturday night as the Colorado low approaches, with temperatures near zero. By Sunday, periods of snow or rain are forecast, with a high of 4°C, before conditions turn colder overnight, featuring a chance of flurries and a low near -4°C. CityNews meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai noted in her update that "snow squalls will be intensifying north of Toronto Thursday night," emphasizing the highly localized nature of the impacts.
The ongoing weather challenges come amid a series of unrelated incidents in the region that have strained emergency services. Early Friday morning, police and paramedics responded to a stabbing near Broadview and Danforth avenues in Toronto's east end just before 7 a.m., where a woman was critically injured and a suspect taken into custody. Details remain limited, but authorities said the incident appears isolated.
In Scarborough, two women were hospitalized following a two-alarm house fire near Birchmount Road and Lawrence Avenue, with one remaining in critical condition. Deputy Fire Chief Dexton Jones reported that crews arrived to heavy smoke and flames, quickly containing the blaze but transporting the victims for treatment of smoke inhalation and burns.
Further complicating the morning, firefighters tackled a five-alarm blaze at a high-rise on Thorncliffe Park Drive near Overlea Boulevard in East York, displacing dozens of residents due to elevated carbon monoxide levels. Officials evacuated the building as a precaution, with no injuries reported but investigations ongoing into the cause.
In Durham Region, police announced the arrest of one suspect in a stabbing in Oshawa, linked to two earlier attacks in the city dating back to Monday, November 25. A second suspect remains at large, and investigators urged the public to come forward with information. "This is a developing situation, and we're working to ensure community safety," Durham police stated in a release.
These events highlight the broader pressures on first responders during the harsh weather, as snow and wind exacerbate response times. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, in a separate comment on provincial matters, touched on infrastructure concerns, saying he "broke out laughing" at municipal worries over new speed signs replacing cameras, though he stressed the need for road safety amid worsening conditions.
CityNews updates from meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai have stressed the storm's evolution, noting that "highly localized snow squalls are starting to hit the GTA as high wind gusts continue." Strong winds are expected to persist through Thursday and into Friday, bringing intermittent squalls to affected areas. Residents are advised to check live updates on platforms like CityNews Toronto for real-time traffic, weather, and alerts across devices.
As the squalls push forward, transportation officials are monitoring key routes closely. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has not issued widespread closures but recommends caution on major highways. With power restoration efforts ongoing and the next system looming, communities in southern Ontario are preparing for what could be one of the most significant early-season snow events in recent years, testing infrastructure and resilience across the province.