PHOTOS: Parts of Ontario blinded by whiteouts from heavy snow squalls

Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Digital Writers

Parts of southern Ontario were hit with a wintry blast Tuesday, courtesy of lake-effect snow squalls pushing in off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

Parts of southern Ontario were hit with a considerable dose of lake-effect snow Tuesday, with several bands of snow squalls pushing in off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay through the day.

Due to the still open, warm waters of the Great Lakes and Georgian Bay, lake-effect snow developed across the region. The squalls generated hazardous driving conditions on the roads as whiteout conditions caused poor visibility in some areas.

The traditional snowbelt regions saw most of the heaviest bands, with 10-15+ cm forecast for areas from Kincardine to London, as well as the cottage country area. Areas between Barrie and Keswick had already picked up 5+ cm by Tuesday morning.


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Weather Network Storm Hunter and meterologist Mark Robinson spent the day chasing the snow squalls near Lake Huron, in several communities just southeast of Goderich, part of the traditional snowbelt.

While most of the snow squalls stayed west and north of the GTA, it didn't go totally unscathed as a quick burst of snow tracked through.

What also contributed to the lake-effect snow setup was a shot of arctic air that has channelled into the region, forcing daytime highs to near or just slightly above the freezing mark in most areas. The tumbling temperatures also made for some very slick and icy conditions on some major roads through the predawn hours on Wednesday as much of the region woke up to bitter wind chill values.

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A lingering flurry or two is possible during the day on Wednesday, but the winds will begin to shift as a ridge pushes out the Arctic air, leading to a warmup with double-digit temperatures for Thursday and Friday.

Here's a closer looking at the blast of Tuesday's winter weather:

Thumbnail courtesy of Mark Robinson.