Cold, blizzard warnings active as deep freeze settles on southern Ontario

A woman works to clear heavy snow on her street in Toronto on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO — Residents in southern Ontario were bundling up as a deep freeze settled in on the region.

Environment Canada issued cold warnings for areas stretching from Pembroke to Windsor, advising of wind chills as low as -35.

In Toronto, Mayor Olivia Chow said there were places for people to go to seek refuge from the cold.

"We've opened up eight warming centres, we're not turning anybody away," she said Saturday. "We have three shifts of outreach workers 24-7, bringing people indoors. All our libraries, community centres are open."

Three of the warming centres are surge sites that open when temperatures drop below -15 C.

The bone-chilling cold is forecast to carry over into Sunday before slightly letting up Monday.

The weather office also says there will be blowing snow, with winds between 70 and 80 kilometres an hour.

Meanwhile, an orange blizzard warning has been issued for areas near the shore of Lake Huron, northwest of London, Ont., and extending down near the U.S. border, with winds up to 80 kilometres an hour and roughly 15 centimetres of snow.

Vast areas of central and northeastern Ontario were also experiencing extreme cold.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2026.

The Canadian Press