Snowstorm Takes Aim at Northern Ontario Starting Thursday With Up to 30-50cm of Snow Possible
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Forecaster: Brennen Perry
Published: Thursday, March 16, 2023
March has been relatively calm when it comes to the weather in Northern Ontario while Southern Ontario has experienced several winter storms. However, this pattern will change soon as a powerful system is expected to bring heavy snow to parts of Northern Ontario over the next few days. Some areas near Lake Superior, like Geraldton, Marathon, and Kapuskasing, could receive up to 50cm of snow.
The first bands of precipitation from this system will move in around Lake Superior on Thursday morning and afternoon. Most places will see heavy snow, but some rain might mix in around Sault Ste. Marie before turning into snow by evening. The snow will intensify late Thursday and continue overnight into Friday morning, with snowfall rates reaching 3-6cm per hour during the heaviest periods.
Strong winds, ranging from 50 to 70km/h, will combine with the snow to create extremely low visibility on roads. Some areas might even experience blizzard conditions, making travel nearly impossible and potentially causing road closures late Thursday and early Friday.
The snow will persist throughout Friday, though it will be less intense, with a few centimetres falling per hour. This will last until Saturday when the system is expected to leave the region by the afternoon.
The most severe conditions will impact areas from Thunder Bay to Timmins and Cochrane, with snowfall totals exceeding 20cm over two days and possibly reaching 50cm in some locations. Less snow is expected near the Manitoba border and further north, with less than 10cm forecasted.
To the south, along the Georgian Bay shoreline in areas like Elliot Lake, Sudbury, and North Bay, precipitation will be a mix of rain and snow or fully transition to rain. Snowfall accumulation will vary from trace amounts to 15cm. Southern Ontario will be affected primarily on Friday and Saturday, but it will experience heavy rain instead of snow. Rainfall totals will range from 15 to 30mm across Southern Ontario. A separate rainfall forecast will be posted on Thursday.
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