Environment Canada says a significant winter storm will cross southern Ontario the first weekend of 2015.
A special weather statement issued Thursday evening and updated Friday says a developing low pressure system will track from southwest to northeast Saturday and Sunday.
Forecasters say precipitation should begin Saturday as snow before changing to rain later Saturday or Sunday and some freezing rain is possible during the transition.
Snowfall amounts, before the change to freezing rain or rain occurs, will range from only a trace over southwestern Ontario to 2 to 5 cm around and north of the Golden Horseshoe, to 10 cm or more over parts of Central and Eastern Ontario.
Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Coulson-two.mp3"][/audio]
The freezing rain is generally expected to be brief in most locales, but more prolonged freezing rain is likely for areas northwest of the Golden Horseshoe on Saturday afternoon, and a freezing rain warning is now in effect there.
The weather agency says temperatures are expected to be well above freezing Sunday, reaching double digits for some areas. The warmth will be short lived, however, with a cold front forecast to sweep across southern Ontario late Sunday bringing a return to cold temperatures, strong winds and flurries.
Forecasters say travel will likely be difficult this weekend considering the changes in the weather during the storm.
