Flash freeze risk across Ontario; 'Coldest temperatures of the season for upcoming work week'
Digital Reporter
Sunday, January 4, 2015, 5:31 PM - We're in Storm Watch at The Weather Network for a winter storm that's set to bring snow, freezing rain, and rain from Ontario to the Maritimes.
The silver lining to this first storm of 2015 is a massive warm-up in temperatures, from well below zero to flirting with the positive double digits.
The downside: Temperatures won't stay that way, and they'll plunge back down into the deep freeze so fast, it'll actually make things worse for drivers
"All of that precipitation that's on the road will be freezing, making for really slick driving conditions," cautions Weather Network meteorologist Kelly Sonnenburg.
It won't be looking like this tm! Remember to clear all ice and salt the sidewalks for tomorrow #onstorm pic.twitter.com/sC8aolgkRw
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) January 4, 2015
The frigid arctic airmass will arrive Sunday night plunging Ontario into a deep freeze for the upcoming work week.
"[Southwestern/Southern/Eastern Ontario will see] the coldest temperatures of the season for upcoming work week," says Environment Canada in a special weather statement which includes the city of Toronto and Ottawa.
"Extreme cold warnings will likely be required during the week due to the combination of cold temperatures and brisk winds."
STORM WATCH: Get the online details on the weekend storm for Ontario, Quebec and the East Coast, and tune in on TV.
It won't all happen at the same time. Here's how the roller-coaster looks for each region:
- Ontario: Temperatures will climb all the way through to Sunday morning, when Toronto will reach 7oC. But that's as high as it gets, before temperatures start falling the same day, reaching a high of -8oC within 24 hours, and staying that cold, or colder, for most of the week. Ottawa falls even harder: 5oC on Sunday morning, -14oC Monday morning. Extreme cold warnings are widespread across Northern Ontario. "A bitterly cold arctic air mass combined with winds of 10 to 20 km/h will produce extremely cold wind chill values of minus 40 to minus 45 tonight into Monday," says EC.
- Quebec: Same timeframe as Ontario, with single-digit highs Sunday morning, then steadily down to negative single digits over the next 24 hours. Montreal's Sunday high is 6oC, falling to -9oC on Monday. Residents without power are urged to layer up and stay indoor.
- Maritimes: This region actually has a couple days of warmth, but there's no escaping the drop off. Halifax will actually be above zero both Sunday and Monday, dropping to -11oC on Tuesday. Charlottetown is colder, 2oC on Sunday, 5oC on Monday, dropping to -15oC on Tuesday. Fredericton reaches 2oC on Sunday, dropping to -17oC on Tuesday.
- Newfoundland: The island only gets one comparatively warm day. Temperatures hit 8oC in St. John's on Monday, falling to -4oC on Tuesday (actually not as cold as Sunday, when -9oC is likely).
Any rain or snow on the roads will freeze very quickly, especially given the very short time frame over which temperatures will drop.
Snow showers will spread across the GTA early this evening, along with gusty winds & falling temperatures pic.twitter.com/cviui1uDoZ
— Doug Gillham (@gtaweather1) January 4, 2015
Environment Canada has not issued any flash freeze warnings as of yet, but with or without warnings, flash freezing is likely, so drive to the conditions.
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WATCH BELOW: The Science Behind Flash Freeze
With files from Daniel Martins
