Another winter storm is taking aim at southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada with snow, ice pellets and freezing rain along with very gusty winds.

Toronto will see 15-20 centimetres fall, and up to 40 centimetres could fall by end of day Wednesday in Ottawa and Montreal. Wind gusts to 80 km/h will also cause significant blowing and drifting snow.

The same system will then bring heavy snow and mixed precipitation to Atlantic Canada.

While it is not unusual for a storm like this to impact such a large area of eastern Canada in the middle of winter, it is rare for winter weather to impact the West Coast at the same time.

On Sunday, 10 centimetres fell in Vancouver and another 10 centimetres is on the way on Monday with potentially another winter storm later this week. Meanwhile, in Saskatoon, the temperature on Monday finally climbed above -20 C for the first time since Feb. 2. The cold has been persistent in the Prairies.

To avoid the snow, ice, and cold, Canadian’s have nowhere to go but south.

The pattern will favour more wintery weather for at least the next two weeks as the Arctic air that’s impacting Western Canada slowly shifts east. This means more snow to coastal B.C. and a very stormy period from the Great Lakes to Newfoundland with at least three more snow/ice/rain events.

If longer-range computer models are correct, a cold and snowy pattern could last well into March from Manitoba through Quebec.

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