Ongoing lake-effect snow threatens 50+ cm in parts of Ontario

Lake-effect snow squalls that developed late Saturday night have been plaguing Ontario's snowbelt regions ever since. It is likely our multi-day lake-effect event will persist right through Thursday. In some cases this will be 50+ cm of snow for the hardest hit areas.

Going somewhere? Check out the current highway conditions before heading out!

Snow squall warnings and winter weather travel advisories remain in place for areas near Lake Huron, northern Georgian Bay and Lake Erie, with significant snowfall rates of 2 to 5 cm per hour threatening dangerous winter driving.

A reminder for those travelling in the snowbelt regions: Snow squalls cause weather conditions to vary considerably. Changes from clear skies to heavy snow within just a few kilometres are common. Travel is expected to be hazardous due to reduced visibility in some locations.

Tuesday

The same Arctic air bringing historically cold temperatures to the western half of North America is flooding into the Great Lakes, bringing some of the coldest temperatures we've seen so far this season.

Frigid winds flowing over the lakes will continue fuelling significant lake-effect squalls off all five of the lakes through the first half of this week.

PHOTOS: Powerful snow squalls bury communities with knee-high totals

Additionally, Tuesday will see some system snow sneak by as a low tracks across the U.S. Northeast. So, folks who have not been affected by the narrow band of intense snowy weather will likely get a taste of flurries on Tuesday. It will likely be short lived for the southwest and Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but will linger longer in Ottawa through the afternoon. Embedded within the 1-3 cm of widespread snow, will be our persistent lake-enhanced squalls.

From Coburg to Kingston, the Bruce and Niagara Peninsulas, and Parry Sound will be directly affected by intense snow squall bands, with higher totals likely. Tuesday commutes will be greatly impacted.

As the system departs lakes Erie and Ontario, squalls take a break, but a continued firehose of snow is anticipated for the Bruce Peninsula to Parry Sound through the evening, where regions may get hit hard with 20-50 cm of snow.

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Wednesday

Snow squalls across Lake Erie and Ontario will re-establish themselves Wednesday morning, once again affecting commuters along the Niagara Peninsula and near Kingston. The non-stop squall for the Bruce Peninsula and Parry Sound continues.

An approaching cold front will amplify squalls by the afternoon and evening, leading to very intense weather to the aforementioned regions. Expect near zero visibility, with very heavy snowfall rates and blowing snow conditions.

Lake Superior shorelines will see some of the worst conditions with heavy snow and gusty conditions. Between 30-60+ cm of snow is possible to accumulate by Wednesday, on top of what they have already had. Consider postponing travel to snow squall-affected regions.

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Cold temperatures will persist this week, with overnight lows bottoming out around -16°C for the GTA, and the low -20s for eastern Ontario. Wind chill values will make things feel even colder, so residents are being urged to dress warmly and watch for symptoms related to the cold weather.

A milder pattern is expected for several days during the final week of January, followed by a colder pattern once again for the start of February.

Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on this high-impact storm across Ontario.

WATCH: Storm Hunter explains why snow squalls are so difficult to predict

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