Ontario: Bitter cold and intense snowsqualls

Tuesday, November 18, 2014, 8:22 AM - Fall - or at least, our idea of it - is nowhere to be found in southern Ontario Tuesday morning.

After a Monday that saw temperatures hovering a little above or below zero, it'll be even colder today, and will feel even worse, thanks to strong winds gusting off the Great Lakes.

Before dawn Tuesday, those winds were making it feel colder than -15 in some communities.

That's after snowsqualls brought several centimetres to southern Ontario cities.

It almost certainly won't be the worst they'll face this season, but for many communities it is the first real snow they've got so far.

For areas along Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and the Niagara Region, strong snow squalls contributed to the total.

On Tuesday morning, snow squalls were again pummeling communities on or near the Great Lakes. Snow squall watches and warnings were in effect, and some road closures and school cancellations were reported.

Making things worse for both visibility and temperatures, strong winds are expected throughout the south of the province Tuesday.

"Gusts of up to 90 km/h are possible through the Niagara region and Lake Huron shores," Weather Network meteorologist Matt Grinter said early Tuesday morning. "Everywhere else, it'll be upwards to 70 km/h, making for some strong wind chills today."

The strong gusts were whipping up the surf along the waterfront in several lake-side communities.

It will continue to be cold and blustery, with a continued chance of snow squalls until Friday.

But there's some good news: Milder temperatures are in store for Saturday, and meteorologists are using words like "November thaw" to describe Sunday.

TUNE IN: We'll keep you posted on how much milder the weekend could be. Check back here, and on The Weather Network on TV.