Winter storm warning in effect through Monday morning Update

As of 11:24 AM EST Environment Canada issued the following Winter storm watch for the North Bay - Powassan - Mattawa area.

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Persons in or near this area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take necessary safety precautions. Watch for updated statements.

Please refer to the latest public forecasts for further details and continue to monitor the situation through your local radio and television stations or Weatheradio.

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..Major winter storm through Monday morning..

This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

A major winter storm centre from Colorado has moved over Wisconsin. Snow has already moved into most of northwestern Ontario and has also arrived at Sault Ste Marie. This wall of snow will continue to move into the remainder of the warned districts well into northeastern Ontario today. This snow combined with strong easterly winds can produce brief whiteout conditions due to blowing snow.

Regions along the north shore of Lake Superior are expected to see 25 to 35 centimetres of snow by this evening. At this time..Analysis shows that this band of heavy snow is expected to move across Lake Superior with similar snowfall amounts near the eastern Lake Superior shoreline.

Similar amounts of snow are forecast over northeastern Ontario all the way down to the Nickel Belt - Nipissing areas. The snow may mix with or change to ice pellets and freezing rain near the north shore of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay this afternoon or this evening.

Over Manitoulin Island which will be closest to the track of the storm centre..Temperatures today may sneak just above freezing for a few hours causing the snow and freezing precipitation to change over briefly to rain. The rain will ultimately change back to snow as much colder air floods in from the north in the wake of the storm centre tonight.

Note that the exact track of this winter storm is still uncertain and this will affect which areas receive the most snow. If the storm centre travels further south than currently expected than areas near the north shore of Lake Huron including Manitoulin Island may not see a changeover to freezing precipitation and may receive more snow as a result.

Due to near zero visibility at times in heavy snow as well as snowy and icy roads travel will be very dangerous and is not recommended.

The winter storm watch over remaining districts may be upgraded to a winter storm warning later tonight. Environment Canada is closely monitoring this situation as new information arrives.

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