Sault Ste. Marie residents can expect a series of messy storms to hit the area starting Friday, according to Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Thursday will see a combination of sun and cloud, with a chance of showers.
“Even tonight, just a few clouds around with mainly clear skies,” Coulson said.
Winds on Thursday could reach 20 to 30 km/h, “initially from the southwest and then shifting to the northwest in the afternoon as we get some colder air moving down,” he said.
The situation changes dramatically on Friday as a system moves in from the American Midwest.
This is “likely going to bring snow beginning Friday morning,” Coulson said.
“But then as we get through into the afternoon hours that snow will likely go over to ice pellets, maybe even freezing rain.”
This mix of precipitation could persist into Saturday morning. Winds are expected to pick up.
Another system is set to arrive on Sunday morning and persist into the afternoon.
Looking ahead to next week, temperatures are expected to remain at or below seasonal norms.
“Forecasting a high on Monday of 0 C and the low Monday night into Tuesday morning of -12 C,” Coulson said.
The normal low for this time of year is -7 C, with a normal high of 4 C.
“We will likely see some special weather statements, winter travel advisories, being issued on Thursday to give people the heads-up for what could be slippery driving conditions for the weekend,” he said.
Areas east and southeast of the Sault may experience more prolonged periods of freezing rain.
Coulson advised caution for those planning to travel along the north shore of Lake Huron, into Sudbury or towards Georgian Bay.
As for warmer temperatures, Coulson doesn’t anticipate any significant change soon.
“No real significant warm-up expected at this point until later into April,” he said.