Toronto is preparing for a sudden return to winter with a surge of icy Arctic air and strong northwest winds set to sweep across the area on Friday night and into Saturday. This will bring the coldest temperatures and wind chills of the season.
Following a relatively peaceful Thursday with a mix of sun, clouds, and a chance of morning flurries, conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly as the weekend approaches. Daytime highs around –4°C will give way to a cloudy evening and light snow overnight as temperatures drop to –8°C.
The big change is forecast for Friday. Meteorologists are predicting powerful northwest winds reaching nearly 70 km/h and a blast of frigid air that will drive wind chills to dangerous levels.
Although there may be light snow and scattered flurries early in the day, possibly accumulating 2–4 cm, the major focus is on the temperature drop: a daytime high of –2°C followed by a nighttime low near –20°C, with wind chills feeling like –30.
By Saturday morning, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be firmly in the grip of a deep freeze. While sunshine will make a return, it won’t provide much warmth. Wind chills are expected to hover near –30 again, with the daytime high struggling to reach –11°C. Southwest winds at 20–40 km/h will make the air feel even colder.
Sunday will see a slight improvement, though temperatures will still be below normal for this time of year. Anticipate a mix of sun and clouds with a chance of flurries, southwest winds at 20–40 km/h, a high near –7°C, and an overnight low of –14°C.
The silver lining is that the extreme cold snap is likely to be brief. More typical seasonal temperatures are on the horizon for next week, providing a reprieve from the harsh Arctic conditions.
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