Toronto area to be slammed with huge storm that could drop over 15 cm of snow

Toronto and surrounding areas got the first dose of snow for 2024 over the weekend, and it looks like the recent snowfall was just a taste of the much larger system bearing down on the region and threatening mid-week commuter chaos.

A Texas low system will slam into Ontario on Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing what could very well be the first storm to deposit a significant blanket of snow on the Greater Toronto Area this season.

According to The Weather Network, Toronto and surrounding areas “could see 2-8 cm of snow on Tuesday before the precipitation changes over to rain.”

However, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is warning of the potential of much more snow in areas immediately north of the city, issuing a special weather statement on Sunday.

⚠️ Special Weather Statement issued for portions of southern Ontario ⚠️

Hazards:
❄️ 10 to 15 cm of snow.
🧊 Risk of freezing rain.

⏲️ Timing:
Tuesday.

Details here 👉 https://t.co/rikbdGXvlg#ONStorm #ONwx pic.twitter.com/OWDoH57DqZ

— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) January 7, 2024

ECCC warns of 10 to 15 cm of snow, with locally higher amounts possible for areas north of Toronto.

The government climate agency cautions that the massive amounts of snowfall could be joined by freezing rain, making for especially hazardous travel conditions across the region starting on Tuesday and lasting into Tuesday night.

Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Tuesday night, and snow will likely transition to rain.

ECCC may issue further warnings and advisories as the storm draws nearer and a clearer picture of impacts develops.

Meanwhile, residents in areas further north and west, including North Bay and Sudbury, can expect to be buried in as much as 25 cm of snow into Wednesday.

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As the name implies, a Texas low is a type of low-pressure system, and the coming system tracking toward Ontario is being described as “unusually low” by meteorologists.

The Weather Network reports that “the low-pressure system’s impressive minimum pressure will fall to about 975 mb as it churns across Lake Huron, which is unusually low for any system trekking through the area any time of year,” calling this storm “rare but not unprecedented.”

Intense low pressure is expected to translate to strong gusty conditions over southern Ontario on Tuesday, including sustained southwesterly winds up to 60 km/h across Lake Ontario and gusts of up to 90 km/h on Wednesday as the system moves out.

Toronto could be in for even more weather misery in the days that follow. Some models predict another heavy band of snow could arrive in the region next weekend.