Environment Canada says a low-pressure system is poised to sweep across southern Ontario on Wednesday and it could disrupt the morning commute with freezing rain.

Freezing rain and ice pellets are possible in a wide area from Lake Huron to the Golden Horseshoe and central Ontario, and that means roads in that region could be icy when motorists head to work or school.

In Toronto, ice pellets or periods of freezing rain are expected to begin early in the morning and change to rain at about noon as the temperature climbs above the freezing mark.

Environment Canada is predicting a high of 5 C in the afternoon and strong wind gusts in the evening.

To the north, communities between Georgian Bay and the Ontario-Quebec boundary will likely see more of a wintry mix, with the possibility of up to 10 centimetres of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain through the day.

In the Huron-Perth and Grey-Bruce regions off Lake Huron, rain will change to snow Wednesday night and brisk northwest winds could create whiteout conditions, Environment Canada warned in a special weather statement.

Ahead of the storm, police are urging motorists to check the weather conditions before heading out in the morning and to take it easy on the roads if the conditions are poor.

People who are scheduled to catch a flight out of or into the Toronto area are advised to confirm its status before heading to the airport, just in case there are weather-related delays or cancellations.

Flurries on first day of spring?

Residents of southern Ontario have been hammered by unusually cold temperatures and several blasts of snow or ice this winter, and it appears the miserable trend may continue when spring arrives Thursday.

Thursday is shaping up to be cold and blustery, with Environment Canada predicting a 40 per cent chance of flurries, a high of just 1 C and a mix of sun and cloud.

The temperature will remain below seasonal through the weekend and into next week.

Here’s a look at the rest of Environment Canada’s long-term forecast:

  • Friday: A mix of sun and cloud, low of -4 C, high of 4 C.
  • Saturday: Cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of flurries, low of -4 C, high of 3 C.
  • Sunday: Sunny, low of -7 C, high of -1 C.
  • Monday: Mix of sun and cloud, low of -12 C, high of -2 C.

Normal temperatures for this time of year are highs of 5 C and lows of -3 C.

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