PROVINCIAL WEATHER SYNOPSIS
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE
SAULT STE MARIE, ONTARIOAT 8:30EST SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 2018
Today:High pressure dominates across the province today to bring mostly sunny skies. Clouds move into the Minnesota border and SW Ontario regions this afternoon and this evening ahead of a storm system, that will bring a wintry to Northern Ontario and rain to Southern Ontario. Daytime highs will be several degrees above freezing for Southern Ontario, near freezing in NE Ontario and a few degrees freezing in NW Ontario. Southerly winds will blow in NW Ontario this afternoon while an easterly wind building through the day in SW Ontario. Rain will begin in SW Ontario just before midnight and end just before sunrise on Sunday. 10-15mm of rain is likely with the heaviest amounts close to the northern edge of Lake Erie. There is the risk that weak thunderstorms push towards the region overnight and if this develops then it could add another 5-10mm for a potential storm total maximum of 15-25mm. Heavy snow will move into the Thunder Bay region overnight for a quick 10-15cm by Sunday morning along the northwesterly shore of Lake Superior. NE Ontario between Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay could see 5-10mm of freezing rain overnight before it changes to snow Sunday morning.
Sunday:Northern Ontario will see flurries through the day while Southern Ontario will see skies gradually clear west to east through the day. All locations near the Great Lakes will see strong southwesterly winds develop that will be sustained at 35-50km/h with gusts over 65km/h at times. Temperatures will be similar to Saturday with Southern Ontario and parts of NE Ontario at or just above the freezing mark. Rain ends in SW Ontario before sunrise, the Toronto region may see rain in the morning hours before it ends in the early afternoon and SE Ontario will likely see 8-12mm of rain through the day.
OUTLOOK:Quiet weather moves into the province for the start of next week with temperatures several degrees above normal on Monday. A weak system may bring a few flurries to NW Ontario on Monday but otherwise sunshine and a westerly breeze will dominate the rest of the province.
By Tuesday a southwesterly breeze will push temperatures well above normal for Southern Ontario with daytime highs near +10C. Northern Ontario will be near the freezing mark under sunny skies. A weak system may move into the Lake Huron region in the evening to bring scattered weak showers.
On Wednesday the warmer than normal weather continues for Southern Ontario and extends north into NE Ontario. A weak boundary will stretch across Southern Ontario to bring clouds and the odd isolated shower. Northern Ontario will be sunny with a weak east wind.