Why is there so much snow in Ontario and is relief in sight?

It’s still early December, but these back-to-back days of epic snow squalls across Ontario may feel like the middle of winter.

The first widespread snowfall of the season also led to several bus cancellations and car accidents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and the Ottawa region through Thursday.

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So what is happening and is there an end in sight?

In the first four days of December alone, London, Ontario. received one entire Month of snow. Over 50 cm fell, the average for December was 44.2 cm.

For areas further north, snow totals were even more significant, with more than 100 cm from November 28 to December 1.

The normal snowfall amount for Gravenhurst in December is 77cm, but the region received almost 150cm in just a few days alone.

It was the perfect recipe. Cold winds blowing across the warm lakes can create some of the most dramatic and efficient snowfalls.

You can think of snow squalls as the “thunderstorms of winter,” and because they are convective, they can produce these overwhelming amounts of snow like those seen in recent days. These convection engines are created by the temperature difference of cold air flowing over a warmer lake.

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There will soon be some relief, but there will also be some price to pay.

More snow is expected in the short term.

The coldest temperatures of the season are expected on Friday, with daytime highs in Toronto falling below 0°C for the first time since March 22.

A further 20-40cm is possible near London by Friday, with a further 15-25cm forecast in the snowbelt regions.

A snow system is expected to form from the north across northern and eastern Ontario this weekend, potentially adding a few more centimeters to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) later Saturday.

Looking beyond the weekend, there are some signs that the pattern is changing.

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Winds from the south will predominate and our active storm track will then shift from the snowy north to the milder south. Next week temperatures will rise above normal again and warmer air will stop lake effect snow.

However, it won’t just be sunshine and mild winter temperatures.

Expect widespread rain through Monday as a system moves through from the United States. There is a risk of short-term mixed precipitation as the storm also moves toward Ottawa.

The general pattern in December continues to look quite active next weekend and beyond.

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Stay with The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across Ontario.

With files from Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network