Powerful snow squalls with up to 60 cm expected to sweep Central Ontario

Get ready for a wintry blast with snow squalls set to hit the region.

A series of powerful snow squalls is settling in on Thursday, and Environment Canada says conditions could go from bad to dangerous very quickly.

A snow squall warning is now in effect across a wide stretch of the region, including Barrie, Collingwood, Innisfil, Midland, Orillia, Newmarket, Georgina and northern York Region.

Forecasters say this is a high-impact, high-confidence event, with up to 30 to 50 centimetres of snow expected by Saturday - and even higher amounts in communities caught under the heaviest bands.

Visibility may drop to zero at times as snow intensifies and strong winds blow it across open roads.

Environment Canada says the squalls will strengthen throughout Thursday before locking into place tonight. Once that happens, snowfall could become relentless in certain pockets, creating extremely hazardous travel conditions.

“Travel will likely be extremely hazardous. Road closures are possible,” Environment Canada notes.

“It’s winter time, and this is what we deal with half the year, so let’s get ready,” said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt in a social media video. “If you’re driving a vehicle, hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, focus on the task of driving, and share the road with those around you.”

New Coloured Warnings

Environment Canada rolled out a new colour-coded weather alert system.

Here’s how it works.

Red means serious and potentially dangerous conditions. This colour is reserved for severe weather that could cause structural damage, extended outages, and health risks.

Orange equals ‘get ready for it.’ This colour means severe weather is likely and touches on what could be multi-day events.

Yellow is an alert to be aware that hazardous weather is on the way. This colour is the more common and closest to an advisory over a watch or warning.

“It’s easy to understand,” said Gerald Cheng, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment Canada. “The goal is really for Canadians to quickly understand the risk that weather poses to them.”

Yellow Warnings Issued

Several yellow-level warnings are also posted for northern Grey County, Dufferin County, Blue Mountains, Orangeville, Grand Valley, Shelburne, Mansfield, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Port Carling and Port Severn.

These communities could see anywhere from 10 to 30 centimetres of snow, depending on how the lake-effect bands shift. The weather agency says winds gusting up to 80 km/h will contribute to blowing snow and increasingly treacherous roads.

Other Alerts

Farther north, Huntsville and Baysville are under a snow squall watch, meaning conditions are favourable for squalls to develop. The agency says local snowfall amounts of five to 10 centimetres are possible, along with sudden drops in visibility.

A second snow squall warning is also in effect for Hanover, Dundalk and southern Grey County, where the situation looks even more intense.

Environment Canada believes this area could see 30 to 60 centimetres of snow, with snowfall rates of five to 10 centimetres per hour at times. Wind gusts of 70 to 80 km/h are expected to push visibility down to near zero, and the warning is expected to stretch straight through to Saturday.