Snow squall watches issued for Simcoe County, up to 40 cm possible

Snowy conditions are shown in Essa Twp., Ont., on Fri., March 13, 2026. (CTV News/Mike Lang)

Old Man Winter refuses to go away, as another heavy round of snow could hit Simcoe County early this week.

Environment Canada issued snow squall watches for much of the region on Sunday, calling for lake effect squalls to bring up to 40 centimeters of snow in some areas between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon.

Orange watch

A more severe orange watch is in place for Barrie and Orillia, encompassing all communities along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, as well as areas north of London, south of Muskoka and west of Dufferin County. The weather agency says those are the regions that could get hit with 20 to 40 centimetres.

“Temperatures will fall sharply in the wake of a cold front on Monday. Snow squalls off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay will be accompanied by westerly to northwesterly winds gusting 70 to 90 kilometres per hour,” said the weather agency in its alert. “Hazardous travel conditions as a result of heavy snow and extensive blowing snow will continue through Tuesday morning.”

Yellow watch

A less severe but notable yellow watch is in place from south Simcoe County to Innisfil and from Dufferin County to Lake Simcoe.

Environment Canada says those areas could see up to 15 centimetres of snow.

“Visibility may be suddenly reduced to near zero at times,” continued the weather agency, advising that travel could be ‘extremely’ hazardous in areas under the watches. “Road closures are possible. Prepare for the possibility of quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.”

Special weather statement

A special weather statement remains in place for Simcoe County and almost all of southern and central Ontario, as this weekend’s heavy winds are expected to continue.

Environment Canada says Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Huntsville, and most Muskoka communities will also see wind gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour and up to eight centimetres of snow. Freezing rain could be in the mix as well.

“Snow is expected to change over to ice pellets or freezing rain before ending from south to north through (Sunday) evening,” explained Environment Canada. “Travel will likely be difficult. High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break.”

The weather agency says utility outages are possible across central and southern parts of the province.

The conditions are expected to improve by Tuesday afternoon.