A massive storm system responsible for three deaths and hundreds of accidents in the United States is dumping snow on Eastern Canada.
In the Toronto region, near-blizzard-like conditions led to more than 500 traffic accidents being reported by noon.
The storm pounded the U.S. on Friday, slamming into unlikely southern states such as Texas and Alabama.
Two people died in Florida after tornadoes struck the state. One person died in Ohio as near-blizzard conditions resulted in more than 610 accidents Friday.
Upwards of 30 centimetres of snow is expected in most of southern Ontario today, before the storm system moves into Quebec and the Maritimes. Some areas could get up to 50 centimetres.
Environment Canada has issued weather warnings from Windsor, Ont. all the way to the Maritimes. Police are asking motorists to stay off the roads unless it's absolutely necessary because the snow combined with strong winds will reduce visibility and roads could be slick.
Meteorologist Jay Anderson spoke to CTV Newsnet from Winnipeg Saturday morning. He said that the worst is still to come, as the storm should reach its maximum strength this evening and will continue to be a problem in Ontario until Sunday morning.
"You've really got quite a situation brewing today," he said, noting the storm won't reach maximum intensity until sometime after supper.
The storm, which comes as many Ontarians just finished shovelling away the last major snowfall, has stymied many March break travel plans.
Toronto's Pearson Airport has had over 70 arrival flights cancelled today and about 50 departures. Many flights are delayed until this evening.
Montreal's Trudeau Airport has cancelled at least three dozen arrivals and a similar number of departures until early Saturday evening.
Snowfall began in southern Ontario on Friday afternoon. The system is expected to build to a crescendo this afternoon, when the majority of the snow is expected.
In Toronto, about 20 to 30 centimetres of snow is expected to fall, putting Toronto in line to qualify for its all-time snowiest winter. The record, set 70 years ago, is 207 centimetres. Prior to Friday's snowfall, the city had 170 centimetres of snow.
Ottawa has already had a whopping 360 centimetres of snow this winter, but that still pales to the 444 centimetres that dropped in 1971.
"When you start setting records, things really aren't normal," Anderson said.
This is an La Nina winter, which means that cooler-than-normal surface sea temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Anderson said that could be driving some of the extreme weather over Canada.
By CTV.ca
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