Snow, ice pellets and fog — oh my. Large swaths of Canada feel winter's icy wrath

For the most part, the weather hasn't been, well, so frightful in much of Canada.

But things changed drastically post-Christmas as people in large swaths of the country woke up Boxing Day Friday to some treacherous weather — heavy snowfall, ice pellets, fog and pretty much everything else Mother Nature could throw in.

Central Yukon's still in a deep freeze, but is recovering somewhat, after facing possible rolling blackouts due to an Arctic ridge of high pressure. Environment Canada says light winds combined with bitterly cold temperatures will produce extreme wind chill values ranging from –50 to –55 C, but temperature and wind chill values were expected to improve through Friday.

Then there's Newfoundland and Labrador: if you're thinking of heading out to capitalize on Boxing Day finds, you may want to rethink that. Areas facing winter storm warnings include from Cartwright to Lodge Bay, with heavy snow combined with strong winds resulting in blizzard-like conditions, according to Environment Canada.

Total snowfall was estimated at 30 to 50 centimetres, with the highest amounts inland, and maximum wind gusts northerly of 110 to 120 km/h, expected to end later Friday afternoon.

"Avoid non-essential travel and outdoor activities," warned the national weather agency. "Protect yourself from wind, cold and disorientation by staying sheltered, indoors or with your vehicle."

Click on this interactive map on the red, orange and yellow areas to get more information on the weather alerts across Canada:

Ontario hasn't been left out of all the winter weather.

Heavy fog set in throughout various parts of the province, with southern and southwestern Ontario, as well as the Niagara Region, experiencing some messy — and potentially dangerous — elements.

Environment Canada's special weather statement said Waterloo region was expected to get five to eight centimetres of snowfall, with five to 10 centimetres anticipated for Guelph. Ice pellets mixed in with the snow and freezing rain were also on the weather menu.

People in Windsor, London and the Hamilton area were also warned to watch out for weather that could create slippery road conditions.

In the Greater Toronto Area, significant snowfall made for some Hallmark movie-like scenery, but sometimes ugly conditions for outings.

Environment Canada urged allowing extra time for travel for those heading out, citing "challenging" travel and reduced visibility "at times." Snowfall was expected to continue into Friday evening, with accumulations of eight to 12 centimetres.

Despite the agency's snowfall warning, it didn't stop some people from going about their regular business, like driving or taking Fido on that dog walk.