By David Helwig
SooToday.com
Monday, December 07, 2009

Environment Canada has issued the following special weather statement for Wawa - White River - Pukaskwa, Sault Ste. Marie - Superior East - Kapuskasing - Hearst - Timmins - Cochrane - Greater Sudbury and vicinity - Chapleau - Gogama - Kirkland Lake - New Liskeard - Temagami - Elliot Lake - Ranger Lake - Manitoulin - Northshore - Killarney - North Bay - West Nipissing.

We've also included a winter storm watch issued by the U.S. National Weather Service:

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Environment Canada special weather statement

Significant storm on tap for Northeastern Ontario.

A developing low pressure system located over Nevada this morning is setting its sights on Northeastern Ontario.

This storm will clear the Rocky Mountains Tuesday morning and then turn northeastward towards the Great Lakes basin gathering moisture from the Gulf of Mexico along the way.

Weather prediction models are nearly unanimous in intensifying this low and tracking it over Lake Huron by Wednesday evening and then on to Southwestern Québec by Thursday morning.

Precipitation associated with this system will begin as light snow Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

This low may usher relatively mild air into Northeastern Ontario causing the snow to change over to rain and thereby limiting snowfall amounts.

The bulk of the snow is expected to fall Wednesday into Wednesday evening.

Typically, snowfall amounts with these types of storms can
range from 20 to 30 centimetres along and north of the low track.

This may be the case with this storm as well.

A caveat to note, however, is that any area that sees the snow to change to rain could have much lower snowfall amounts.

Another element of this storm that will be significant is strong winds both ahead of the system on Wednesday and in its wake on Thursday.

Strong easterly winds may whip the freshly fallen snow causing blowing snow and reduced visibility.

Once the low passes, cold westerly winds flowing over the Great Lakes will set up another lake effect event for snow belt areas on Thursday.

Environment Canada will continue to monitor this developing situation closely.

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U.S. National Weather Service

BIG WINTER STORM FOR THE MIDDLE PART OF THE WEEK.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE REGION TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.

DURING THIS TIMEFRAME, A SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION OF BOTH
SYSTEM AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED.

STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, LEADING TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GAYLORD HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.

HAZARDS: HEAVY SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD EASTERN UPPER AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN TUESDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL SWEEP INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM, LEADING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAKE ENHANCED SNOW SHOWERS.

SNOW ACCUMULATION: IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES OF NEW SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN UPPER AND NORTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN.

IMPACTS: VISIBILITIES WILL DROP TO A QUARTER MILE OR LESS WITHIN THE HEAVY SNOW.

ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW-COVERED AND HAZARDOUS.

STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, WHICH WILL FURTHER DETERIORATE TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW, SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

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