These areas may see 40 cm of snow in Ontario [Video]

As 2025 begins, with the holidays behind us and many heading back to work, winter is making its presence known with lake-effect snow squalls returning to parts of Ontario this week.

Regions near Georgian Bay are bracing for heavy snowfall starting Thursday morning, with Environment Canada issuing snow squall watches for areas including Barrie, Collingwood and Hillsdale. Local accumulations of 20 to 30 centimetres are expected by Thursday evening, along with gusting northwest winds up to 60 km/h, which could reduce visibility in blowing snow.

While northern parts of the 401 corridor are expected to see significant snowfall, southern Ontario cities such as Mississauga, Brampton, Halton, Hamilton, Durham, and Niagara are not expected to be impacted—though conditions could change closer to the event.

“Snow squalls cause weather conditions to vary considerably; changes from clear skies to heavy snow within just a few kilometres are common,” Environment Canada said in its …