If you plan on travelling on Thursday, keep in mind some parts of Southern Ontario are in for a blast of winter, while others can expect strong winds.
Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for much of Central Canada as a slow-moving system from Colorado enters the region.
The Weather Network said the system has been building strength in the past days over the American Great Plains, spawning blizzard warnings in Montana, Nebraska, Colorado, and South Dakota and tornadoes in Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana.
The most extreme weather will stay to the south, but the low-pressure system will bring strong winds and rain to Windsor, Essex County, Leamington, Chatham-Kent, and Rondeau Park, and difficult driving conditions in the London area and further east.
Environment Canada warns the system will hit Southwestern Ontario during the early morning hours on Thursday with wind gusts of up to 80 km/h, enough to blow around large objects, bring down tree limbs, and cause power outages.
The wind should start to ease late Thursday afternoon.
Further up Hwy. 401, the London-Middlesex area can anticipate strong winds, freezing rain, and snow.
London, Parkhill, and Eastern Middlesex County can expect gusts of up to 80 km/, freezing rain and ice buildup.
Tree damage and power outages are possible there, along with slippery roads.
The wintry mix will transition into snow or rain on Thursday afternoon before tapering into flurries Thursday night.
For those visiting family even further east along Hwy. 401, the Greater Toronto Area expects up to 15 cm of fresh snow by Friday morning.
