After months of persistent snow, deep freezes and Arctic blasts, many Ontarians are feeling the fatigue of a winter that won’t let go.

According to Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell, it’s not just the cold or snowfall totals that stand out, it’s how long it’s all lasted.

“It’s definitely not your imagination,” Farnell said. “It has been a long go across southern Ontario.”

Snow arrived before Christmas across much of southern Ontario, followed by weeks of persistent lake-effect snowfall through January.

That pattern, combined with multiple deep freezes and freezing rain, kept snow on the ground for months, with little opportunity for a sustained thaw.

“We had that spell of lake effect where it was almost just consistent, day after day,” Farnell said. “Then those cold snaps just solidified whatever was out there.”

In cities like Toronto, this winter is now ranking among their snowiest on record, while others, including London, didn’t break records but still felt the strain of a prolonged season.

Toronto was buried under roughly 80 centimetres of snow over just a few days in late January after a powerful system brought record-breaking totals across the region.

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Environment Canada reported 61 cm fell in downtown Toronto in a day, which is among the highest totals ever recorded in the core, while 46 cm was measured at Toronto Pearson airport, marking its snowiest day on record.

One of the defining features of this winter was the extent of ice coverage across the Great Lakes.

Lake Erie reached about 97 per cent ice coverage at one point, while ice built up across Lake Huron and Georgian Bay before shifting later in the season.

That ice coverage directly influenced snowfall patterns.

“When ice is there, you don’t have the same lake-effect snow,” Farnell explained.

Despite brief stretches of mild weather earlier in March, Farnell says winter isn’t finished.

“There’s still a lot of Arctic air across Northern Canada, so it doesn’t take much for that to make its way south,” he said.

Despite the calendar turning to spring Friday, Farnell says these circumstances will cause winter conditions to linger on a bit longer.

According to the Weather Network, a system is expected to move through the province in the coming days and will bring heavy snow, icy precipitation and hazardous travel conditions.

The Great Lakes winter storm is expected to slam parts of Ontario with strong winds and potentially bury some communities under as much as 50 centimetres of snow, despite the start of spring being just days away.

“We’re going to be fooled at least two or three more times,” Farnell added, noting that a true spring warm-up likely won’t arrive until May.

Looking ahead, Farnell says this winter doesn’t offer a clear signal for spring or summer, with lake temperatures and ice coverage currently near average.

Instead, attention is shifting to a developing El Niño, which could shape weather patterns in the months ahead.

“If it becomes a strong El Niño, you typically see a jet stream farther north … warmer, wetter conditions,” he said.

That could mean a hotter summer, along with more frequent thunderstorms driven by passing cold fronts and lake breezes.

Farnell also points to record-breaking heat already developing in the southwestern United States — an early-season “heat dome” that could expand northward.

“Once it gets hot, it can feed on itself,” he said. “Each day gets a little drier, a little hotter.”

But for now, Ontarians may need to stay patient as winter lingers a little longer.

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Parts of southern Ontario saw a cold start to March, but much of the region will soon be treated to a warm-up, though some rainy weather could come with it.

After places like Toronto and London saw wind chills at about -20, Global News meteorologist Ross Hull says this upcoming weekend could see people shedding their winter jackets.

He cautioned, though, that this month could bring a mixture of temperatures.

“I think we are going to be getting certainly a taste of spring for the first half of March and that will come with above-average temperatures,” Hull said.

The warm weather will first come later this week as a system skirts through southern Ontario, with places like Toronto seeing about 11 C, while more southwestern cities like London will be in the mid- to high teens on Saturday. That system will also bring some rain, though exact amounts are not yet known.

Hull said that system will move out, with a slight cooldown on Sunday, though temperatures will still stay above freezing.

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Severe winter weather hammers southern Ontario

As we move through next week, another system from the southern U.S. will start to creep into southern and southwestern Ontario, bringing some more warm temperatures.

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For some parts of the region, like Toronto, that could mean temperatures of 15 or 16 C, and places like Sarnia, St. Thomas and Windsor could even hit 19 or 20.

While southern Ontario is set to see some warm weather in the first half of the month, Hull did give one word of caution: the cold isn’t gone yet.

“Chances are we will get into a cooler pattern for the second half of March and we’re likely going to see one of those springs where it is a lot of back and forth,” he said.

Hull also cautioned that there could be a risk to some areas hitting that high.

“Some areas could be hitting 20 degrees, it’s not out of the question, but of course, the downside to that is we’ve got systems that are bringing in rain,” he said. “That coupled with the mild conditions could lead to some localized flooding and for some of the watersheds.”

He said areas in the province that have higher amounts of snow could see some of those flooding risks, though it’s not yet known to what extent. At this time, several regional conservation authorities, including Toronto and Region and Upper Thames River, which covers the London area, have flood risks at normal.

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After days of warming weather and gentler conditions, large parts of southern Ontario are set for another cold snap, which will bring more snow and freezing rain from Wednesday.

Weather warnings and advisories stretch from Windsor through Hamilton, Barrie and as far east as Belleville. They include fog, freezing rain and snow.

“The recent calm weather pattern will come to an abrupt end on Wednesday as a frontal system arrives from California,” Global News’ chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell explained.

“Significant amounts of snow, freezing rain and even rain are likely across parts of southern Ontario, with the GTA in line potentially for all three.”

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An orange weather alert for the Kitchener area, for example, predicts “significant” freezing rain, with ice accretion of five to 10 mm likely. Winds could hit as high as 60 km/h.

The prediction in Toronto itself is less severe, with a special weather statement for “hazardous winter conditions” including up to five cm of snow, reduced visiblity and ice pellets.

Some areas — and those that already have significant snow on the ground — could see more.

“The temperature at the surface and also a little higher in the atmosphere will play a crucial role in the precipitation type — and right now I would expect areas that stay mostly snow — (and could) end up with 15 to 20 cm by the end of Wednesday,” Farnell added.

“The highest snow totals will be where a winter storm watch is currently in place.”

Farnell said snow would giveway to ice heading west from Toronto into Hamilton, Kitchener and Guelph.

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