Heavy snow spares the Sault (7:15 a,m. update)

Heavy snow spares the Sault (7:15 a,m. update)

Sault Ste. Marie has received a couple of inches of snow this morning, but as of 5:24 a.m. Thursday, Environment Canada has cancelled winter storm watches for Sault Ste. Marie - St.

Sault Ste. Marie has received a couple of inches of snow this morning, but as of 5:24 a.m. Thursday, Environment Canada has cancelled winter storm watches for Sault Ste. Marie - St. Joseph Island - Searchmont - Montreal River Harbour - Batchawana Bay - Elliot Lake - Ranger Lake.

A winter storm warning has been issued for Chapleau.

Winter weather watches (less urgent than a warning) are still in effect for Gogama - Foleyet - Chapleau - Missinaibi Lake and many other parts of Northeastern Ontario including the Greater Sudbury area.

The following freezing rain warning is in effect this morning for Blind River - Thessalon - Elliot Lake - Ranger Lake - Manitoulin Island - Espanola - Killarney and the North Bay - West Nipissing region.

We've also included the latest winter weather advisory from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Oh - and we wanted you to know that yesterday, the temperature in New York City reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit.

*************************** Environment Canada freezing rain warning

Freezing rain and ice pellets continuing into this afternoon.

This is a warning that an extended period of freezing rain is imminent or occurring in these regions.

Monitor weather conditions. Listen for updated statements.

A low pressure system over lower Michigan is threatening to evolve into a winter storm for Northeastern Ontario as it tracks towards the Great Lakes.

With colder air in place over the district, precipitation from this low will fall in the form of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain.

Significant amounts of snow are quite possible over northern and western parts of the district.

Latest indications suggest a swath of regions from near Sault Ste Marie to Timmins getting the most snow with total snowfall amounts of 15 centimetres or more quite possible generally by this evening.

Further southeast in regions extending from Gore Bay across Sudbury to Earlton snow is expected to change over to a mixture of ice pellets and freezing rain.

Meanwhile over North Bay - Nipissing latest indications suggest primarily freezing rain and ice pellets which may change over to rain on today as temperatures there sneak above freezing as the low pressure system moves by.

There is still uncertainty as to the exact track of the low and the location of the heaviest snow and freezing precipitation.

Expect travelling conditions to deteriorate by this morning across the district.

Motorists should be prepared for hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travelling plans appropriately.

************************** Environment Canada special weather statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED FOR:

SAULT STE. MARIE - SUPERIOR EAST ELLIOT LAKE - RANGER LAKE MANITOULIN - NORTHSHORE - KILLARNEY CHAPLEAU - GOGAMA KAPUSKASING - HEARST TIMMINS - COCHRANE GREATER SUDBURY AND VICINITY KIRKLAND LAKE - NEW LISKEARD - TEMAGAMI NORTH BAY - WEST NIPISSING.

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO WILL BRING WINTER WEATHER BACK TO NORTHEASTERN ONTARIO TODAY.

WITH COLDER AIR IN PLACE OVER THE DISTRICT, PRECIPITATION FROM THIS LOW WILL FALL IN THE FORM OF SNOW, ICE PELLETS AND FREEZING RAIN.

A SNOWFALL WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE TIMMINS - COCHRANE - IROQUOIS FALLS AND CHAPLEAU - GOGAMA REGIONS AS LATEST INDICATIONS SUGGEST THESE AREAS WILL SEE 15 CM OR MORE BY THIS EVENING.

REGIONS TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST INCLUDING SUDBURY AND NEW LISKEARD WILL SEE LESSER AMOUNTS OF SNOW RANGING FROM 5 TO 10 CM DUE TO ICE PELLETS AND POSSIBLY FREEZING RAIN BECOMING MIXED IN.

AREAS ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR CAN ALSO EXPECT TO SEE BETWEEN 5 AND 10 CM OF SNOW BY THIS EVENING.

MEANWHILE A FREEZING RAIN WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTH BAY - WEST NIPISSING AND MANITOULIN ISLAND REGIONS.

PLEASE CONSULT THE APPROPRIATE WARNING BULLETIN FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

EXPECT TRAVELLING CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE THIS MORNING ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS AND ADJUST TRAVELLING PLANS APPROPRIATELY.

LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE FOUND BY CONSULTING THE LATEST PUBLIC FORECAST.

************************** U.S. National Weather Service

ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN.

OVERVIEW - A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LIFT THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES TODAY.

AS COLDER AIR WRAPS INTO THE SYSTEM, RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW.

SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN UPPER MICHIGAN.