Ontario is set to experience a significant cold snap with a polar vortex hitting next week, bringing the coldest temperatures of the season. While the province is not expecting major snowfalls, the Great Lakes region is predicted to see an abundance of lake-effect snow. Following the cold snap, a warm-up is expected in the second half of January, potentially bringing squalls and messy commutes to areas outside the traditional snowbelt.
Though the little wintry accumulation that Toronto received over the holidays has all but melted away, other parts of Ontario are presently being buried in snow to kick off the New Year — and it looks like the city won't be as immune to the realities of winter in the coming weeks as it was during our relatively mild December.
As below-zero temperatures and bitter wind chill settle in amid scattered flurries during these first few days of 2025, forecasts are calling for thermometers across the province to plummet even further, hitting below seasonal levels as we push on into January. The centre swath of the country is about to experience a polar vortex that will peak next week, which will be the coldest one of the season. While this deep freeze will extend from western Manitoba to eastern Quebec, it is not expected to bring many winter storms — that is, with the exception of the Great Lakes Region. TWN's outlook from Friday anticipates 'frequent shots of Arctic air will produce an abundance of lake-effect snow for parts of the Great Lakes region' thanks to a chunk of the polar vortex being centred over the Hudson Bay area. But, the agency adds that the worst of the weather will likely hit stateside thanks to jetstreams, with 'primarily clippers and cold fronts bringing relatively minor amounts of snow' on Ontario's end. Counterintuitively enough, it's actually the warm-up that will follow in the second half of the month that could potentially bring squalls and messy commutes to the non-snowbelt locales in the province. As the cold recedes in the latter weeks of January, Southern Ontario will return back to near seasonal temps, flipping the script on B.C., which will get far colder after enjoying a milder start to the month. 'However, keep in mind that late January is the coldest time of the year for most of Canada, so it is possible to see high-impact winter storms with above-seasonal temperatures.
Ontario Polar Vortex Lake-Effect Snow Winter Weather Cold Snap
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