Oh, Canada: most major cities under winter weather warnings for cold, snow and storms
As we approach the end of February, many Canadians were hoping for signs of an early spring. However, mother nature seems to have other plans as a strong hit of winter weather is set to wallop most of southern Canada. With 36 days left in the season, it looks like we will have to endure more shoveling, shivering, and suffering through the cold.
According to Environment Canada’s weather alert map, almost every province and territory in the country, except for the Northwest Territories, is under a weather warning, watch, or statement. As of Wednesday morning, there are a total of 857 weather alerts across the country, with the warnings mainly concentrated in the southern half of the provinces.
In Alberta, areas outside of Lethbridge can expect extreme cold with wind chills as low as -40°C. British Columbia is also facing Arctic outflow and extreme cold in certain regions. Meanwhile, Labrador City in Newfoundland and Labrador is under an extreme cold warning with wind chills plummeting to -50°C.
The southern half of Saskatchewan and Manitoba is bracing for a multi-day episode of wind chills of -40°C or lower. Southern Ontario and Quebec are also facing a mix of winter misery, including extreme cold, freezing rain, storms, and snowfall.
In Ontario, Toronto is expecting about 15 centimeters of snow, while Ottawa could see up to 40 centimeters. Several areas in the Greater Toronto Area are under a snowfall warning, with snowfall rates exceeding five centimeters an hour at its peak. Ottawa-Gatineau and western Quebec are also under winter storm warnings.
Montreal and Quebec City in Quebec are facing winter storm warnings with significant snowfall accumulations expected. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland are also under snowfall warnings, with some areas expecting up to 25 centimeters of snow.
As airlines cancel flights and cities prepare for the snowstorm, Environment Canada is urging residents to avoid non-essential travel and to stay safe on the roads. With winter weather hitting most of southern Canada, it looks like we’ll have to endure the cold a little while longer before spring finally arrives.
