Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement and a snowfall warning for an early spring storm in the greater Kawarthas region on Wednesday (April 3) and Thursday, with strong winds and rain followed by the potential for accumulating snow.
The special weather statement is in effect for the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough County, southern Haliburton County, and Northumberland County. The snowfall warning is in effect for northern Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands.
A Colorado low is affecting the region. Rain began overnight on Tuesday, with 25 to 50 mm of rain possible by Wednesday afternoon in Northumberland County and 10 to 40 mm possible in other areas of the Kawarthas. Gusty easterly winds, possibly exceeding 70 km/h, are likely in some areas through Wednesday morning.
The rain is expected to transition to snow late on Wednesday afternoon or evening, with snow expected to continue overnight before tapering off Thursday.
The changeover to snow will likely occur earliest over the Haliburton Highlands, with total snowfall amounts of 15 to 30 cm and peak snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm per hour expected in northern Haliburton County and Hastings Highlands. With temperatures being very close to the freezing mark, the snow may be very heavy and wet and local power outages are possible as a result.
In other areas of the Kawarthas, snowfall amounts could range from 5 cm to over 10 cm. Confidence in snowfall amounts is low, given that temperatures will be near the freezing mark and the precipitation may continue to fall as rain in these areas.
The original version of this story has been updated with the latest forecast from Environment Canada.
