Bundle up! A deep freeze is on the way, and plans to stick around for awhile.
Southern Ontario is bracing for an extended period of frigid weather, with Toronto potentially experiencing its longest stretch of sub-zero temperatures in over three years.
While Toronto got off easy during the province’s most recent snow squall event, the city won’t be quite so lucky this time, with bone-chilling temperatures and frigid Arctic air descending upon the region as it shifts from the eastern Prairies to Central Canada and the Great Lakes region.
According to The Weather Network, southern Ontario is set to endure the coldest seven-day stretch of the season this week, with unseasonably low temperatures reaching as far south as Florida.
By Wednesday, temperatures could reach -9C but feel as cold as -24 C overnight with the wind chill in effect. By the end of the week, it will warm up slightly to around -2 C, but still feel -11 C through Friday and Saturday nights.
At Toronto Pearson International Airport, the forecasts predict a streak of at least 10 consecutive days of below-freezing temperatures. If this occurs, it will be the longest such stretch since January 20–31, 2022, when 12 sub-zero days were recorded.
Historically, the airport’s record-breaking days of sub-zero temperatures occurred back in the 70s, with 46 days of sub-zero temperatures from December 26, 1976, to February 9, 1977.
The cause of the cold snap is due to a section of the polar vortex hovering over Hudson Bay, which is bringing repeated blasts of Arctic air to southern Ontario. This frigid pattern will also enhance lake-effect snow across the Great Lakes.
Warming centres across the city have re-opened since Friday to help the most vulnerable.
Bundle up this week and stay warm!