HURON COUNTY – Environment Canada has issued a snow squall warning that will cause zero visibility in blowing snow and bursts of heavy snow in Huron County through today and tonight.
Today is a P.A. day for schools across Huron County, so as scheduled schools are closed to students.
The Ministry of Transportation is reporting Hwy. 21 is open, except for the stretch from Southampton to Port Elgin in Bruce County at 7:30 a.m. today. For current information, check the ministry’s website.
In the wake of an Arctic cold front that blasted across the regions last night, a strong surge of much colder air has arrived and snow squalls have quickly developed in the strong and gusty westerly flow off of Lake Huron. Snow squalls will also likely develop in a strong west-northwest flow off of Georgian Bay into Simcoe County this morning.
The main issue with today’s snow squalls will be frequent near zero visibility in blowing snow and bursts of heavy snow. Winds in the snow squalls will frequently gust 60 to 80 km/h today. Local snowfall amounts of 15 cm are also quite likely.
Motorists should note that winter driving conditions have returned and will be hazardous due to the very low to nil visibility from blowing snow and local heavy snow causing rapid accumulation on untreated roads. These hazardous conditions may develop quite suddenly.
The snow squalls may be directed southwestward out of Simcoe County by Friday. However they will likely continue to affect parts of Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth counties throughout Friday.
Please refer to the public forecast for further details.
Earlier this week, for the second time this month, very mild air from the Gulf of Mexico paid a visit to Southern Ontario bringing another memorable January thaw with it. The warm front marking the leading edge of the very mild air made it as far northeast as areas near the Niagara Escarpment by early Wednesday morning resulting in a number of new record maximum temperatures for Tuesday across mainly Southwestern Ontario and Niagara. On Wednesday morning a strong southerly flow pushed the front northeast across remaining regions, including the Ottawa Valley. Many more record high temperatures were set, and as this air mass was so mild, many of these records were set in the morning, readings peaked as high as 17 degrees in the St. Catherines and Niagara Falls area, with even higher temperatures recorded just over the border in Buffalo where it reached 18.9 C. These are temperatures more typical of late April or May.
New record maximum temperatures for Tuesday and Wednesday are shown in the table below.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 new record high temperatures
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Location new record [C] old record [C] (year)
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Windsor 14.5 11.6 (2006)
Sarnia 12.4 11.0 (2006)
London 10.5 8.9 (2006)
Hamilton 10.5 8.9 (1975)
Vineland 13.5 9.8 (2006)
Welland 12.8 10.2 (2006)
Kitchener 9.9 7.3 (2006)
Elora 8.8 6.6 (2006)
Wiarton 9.5 6.7 (2008)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 new record high temperatures
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Location new record [C] old record [C] (year)
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Windsor 15.6 9.5 (1988)
Sarnia 14.7 9.8 (1988)
London 14.2 9.1 (1988)
Hamilton 13.4 11.3 (2003)
Vineland 16.8 11.1 (1969)
Welland 15.0 12.8 (1914)
Kitchener 13.5 8.5 (1988)
Elora 12.8 7.4 (1988)
Toronto Pearson 14.0 �� 9.1 (2006)
Buttonville aprt 13.5 9.9 (1988)
Wiarton 10.1 9.6 (1988)
Trenton 13.9 8.2 (1988)
Peterborough 12.6 8.5 (1988)
Kingston 10.6 6.0 (1988)
Ottawa Airport 11.7 5.6 (1974)
Petawawa 7.1 6.1 (1974)
Muskoka 9.3 6.0 (2006)
This weather summary contains preliminary information and may not constitute an official or final report.
