Back-to-back systems with snow hit Ontario well into the weekend

Winter has certainly picked up the pace with the arrival of January across Ontario, after a week of relentless lake-effect snow squalls, and some of the coldest temperatures of the year on Wednesday.

While the extreme cold will relax a bit, the snow will be staying with the region well into the weekend.

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

Back-to-back system snowfall will spread across the Golden Horseshoe and southwestern Ontario Thursday, with more snow squalls set to pick up as early as Friday. Another reinforcing shot of arctic air will also spread back in through Saturday.

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

Will this winter weather be here to stay? Read on for more of what's ahead as we finish off the month of January.

Rounds of snow hit Thursday and Friday

Lake-effect snow squalls will finally weaken in Parry Sound and the snowbelts by Thursday afternoon. However, the Niagara region and Prince Edward County will still battle intense snow squall weather, as well as system snow.

Two weak systems will track south of the border, bringing widespread, accumulating snowfall through Thursday. Both the morning and evening commutes will likely be impacted, so expect a slower drive.

The first round moved in through the overnight hours on Wednesday, though the system snow will become disorganized by the afternoon, with a brief break until round two tracks through during the evening.

Southwestern Ontario will see the snow first late evening, continuing through the overnight for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Niagara region, and then ending during the Friday morning commute.

Lake enhancement will likely bring heavier totals along the Niagara Peninsula, with persistent squall embedded within the system snow.

Between 2-5 cm is expected west of the GTA, around 5 cm for Hamilton, and 5-10 cm for London and Windsor. The heaviest totals of 10-20 cm are expected along Lake Erie shores and the Niagara Peninsula.

Story continues

Lake-effect fires back up for Friday

For Friday, lake-effect snow squalls fire back up, but they will originate from a different location. A change in wind direction is anticipated.

With winds coming from the north/northwest, bands off of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay will spill locally heavy snowfall along Highway 402, Highway 21, and Highway 26 near Collingwood and Blue Mountain.

RELATED: Why snow squalls are one of the hardest events to forecast

Cold weather will continue to be felt across southern Ontario until next week where a January thaw is anticipated to bring warmer-than-normal temperatures, especially late in the week and through next weekend. However, the milder air will run into some resistance from the arctic air that is in place, and this will bring the threat for a couple rounds of messy weather across the region during the middle of the week with snow, ice and rain all on the table.

That will be 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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