Key Takeaways:
- A record-breaking winter storm brought significant snowfall to Ontario and Quebec, with Toronto Pearson Airport recording 46 cm of snow, the highest daily snowfall on record.
- The storm is moving east into Atlantic Canada, bringing extreme cold and snowfall warnings for parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
- The cold temperatures are expected to stick around, with long-range forecasts predicting colder-than-normal temperatures in Ontario into mid-February.
- The storm has caused significant disruptions, including school closures, flight cancellations, and road collisions, with over 200 collisions reported in the Greater Toronto Area in 24 hours.
- Atlantic Canada is expected to see significant snowfall, with some areas potentially receiving up to 30 cm or more.
Introduction to the Storm
The record-breaking winter storm that pounded Ontario and Quebec with snow on Sunday night and Monday morning is moving east into Atlantic Canada, bringing extreme cold with it. A large and strong low-pressure area brought a large snowstorm across much of southern Ontario, creating significant impacts on transportation and leading to school closures across much of the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding areas. Toronto Pearson Airport recorded 46 centimeters of snow on Sunday, the highest daily snowfall there on record, and the January snowfall total has reached 88.2 cm, making it the snowiest January and snowiest month since records began in 1937.
Impact on Ontario and Quebec
In Quebec, Montreal was still under a snowfall warning on Monday morning, and some Montreal schools announced weather-related closures. The storm has caused significant disruptions, including school closures, flight cancellations, and road collisions. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have responded to almost 200 collisions in the Greater Toronto Area in 24 hours, and OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt urged people to stay off the roads if they can avoid it. The storm has also brought significant snowfall to Eastern Ontario, but radar is showing that the western edge of the storm is pushing out of the province toward the Maritimes.
Movement of the Storm
According to Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, some Atlantic provinces are calling for snowfalls between 20 and 30 cm, with snowfall and wind gust warnings for parts of southern New Brunswick, and most of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. While these types of snowstorms and single-day accumulations are "pretty rare" for places in Ontario like Toronto and Kingston, Atlantic Canada has seen it before. Coulson noted that Atlantic Canada is "used to some pretty strong storms that can come up the Eastern seaboard and give significant amounts of snow."
Cold Temperatures to Stick Around
What makes this winter storm different is the cold temperatures, said Coulson. Often, especially in southern Ontario, there will be a thaw a few days after a massive snowfall, so it will warm up and the snow will melt. But that’s not going to be the case this time, he said, with colder temperatures remaining. Even the long-range forecast into mid-February is predicting Ontario temperatures that are colder than normal, he added. "The snow… will likely be hanging around for some time to come," Coulson said. This is good news for fans of winter, but not so much for those who aren’t fans of winter.
Impact on Atlantic Canada
In Nova Scotia, many schools and universities are closed, and dozens of flights in and out of Halifax’s airport are cancelled as the winter storm starts to sweep across the province. The snowfall is expected to last into Tuesday, and could bring 30 cm or more to some parts of the province. Environment Canada says wind gusts of up to 70 km/hour along the Atlantic Coast will reduce visibility as it blows snow across open areas. On Prince Edward Island, Islanders could see between 15 to 25 cm of snow, but locally higher amounts are possible, according to Environment Canada. A prolonged period of snow is also expected along southern New Brunswick, with Environment Canada calling for 20 to 25 cm, and possibly higher along the Fundy Coast. Parts of southern Newfoundland are also under a winter storm warning, but they’re expecting less snow, around 15 cm, according to Environment Canada.