Shovels might be getting ready to work again as several weather warnings, including a snow squall watch, are currently active in Waterloo Region. A significant winter storm is expected before the week wraps up.
Environment Canada has issued a snow squall watch, predicting total snowfall between 30 to 50 centimetres across the area, although local totals may differ.
Denise Andreacchi, 570’s Weather Specialist, mentioned that snowfall is anticipated to begin Thursday morning and continue until Saturday, with early forecasts suggesting it will peak sooner.
“For tomorrow, it’s snow squall activity,” Andreacchi said. “On average, for Kitchener, 5 to 10 centimetres are expected, but due to isolated bands of snow targeting specific areas, we could see more than 20 centimetres locally.”
Additionally, there’s a special weather statement regarding strong wind gusts that could reach speeds of 70 to 80 km/h. Andreacchi warned that this could lead to hazardous conditions during morning and afternoon drives.
“Any snow we get might just get blown and drifted back onto the roads because of how strong these winds are expected to be. So be extra careful on your drive tomorrow morning,” Andreacchi noted. “This snow squall activity will persist on and off throughout Thursday along with these intense winds.”
She added that while the rest of the week will still see some snowfall, it will be at a much lighter rate compared to Thursday. The winds are expected to ease heading into the weekend but may still remain quite strong on Friday.
Andreacchi indicated that Friday might bring trace amounts of snow-possibly reaching up to 2 cm-with additional accumulations expected over the weekend; around 5 cm on Saturday and another 6 cm on Sunday.
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Alberta clipper combines with low-pressure system
Natasha Ramsahai, Chief Meteorologist for City News, explained that a shifting polar vortex from the Prairies merging with an Alberta clipper is responsible for this situation. The low-pressure system is projected to affect communities throughout northern and southern Ontario. The winter weather patterns depend on either a weak or disrupted polar vortex. In this instance, the disruption is mainly caused by something known as an “SSW” or “sudden stratospheric warming,” which weakens what she calls the “wind wall.” “While bursts of cold air at this time of year aren’t unusual, this ‘SSW’ event causing it is happening earlier than usual-only occurring a couple of times this early in previous seasons over the last 70 years,” Ramsahai explained. The ongoing La Niña phenomenon is also influencing this colder weather shift. The City News winter forecast released earlier this month suggests that we can expect colder conditions during the first half of winter across the Great Lakes region while early 2026 looks like it may be milder. With contributions from City News’ Lucas Casaletto. Snow squalls return starting Thursday. (Graphic: City News)Source link
