Brief, heavy snowfall could bring hazardous road conditions in southern Ontario

A brief but heavy snowfall could make for hazardous road conditions in parts of southern Ontario.

Environment Canada issued a winter weather travel advisory for Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 13) for areas around the GTA including Oshawa, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Markham and Vaughan due to lake effect snow off Lake Huron.

The intense snowfall could bring “bursts of heavy snow” that may affect road conditions and visibility, Environment Canada warns.

“Travel may be hazardous due to sudden changes in the weather,” Environment Canada says in the warming.

Total accumulations up to five centimetres are in the forecast.

Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.

“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions,” Environment Canada notes. “If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop.”

For some regions north of Toronto including north York Region, Newmarket, Barrie, Orilla, Parry Sound and Muskoka, up to 15 centimetres of snow could fall.

The winter weather travel advisory has been extended to include Vaughan – Richmond Hill – Markham.

Details 👉 https://t.co/fUfyo6YuHP#ONwx #ONstorm pic.twitter.com/kyNU0k5nLx

— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) December 13, 2023