Northern parts of Ontario, Quebec to see winter storm arriving via the United States

MONTREAL — A major winter storm will be hitting northern Ontario and northern Quebec, bringing significant snow and difficult driving conditions over the coming days.

Environment Canada meteorologist Gerald Cheng says the storm originated from the plains of the United States and will bring snow, strong winds and lake-effect snow activity, which could lead to hazardous travel conditions in parts of the province.

Cheng says 30-to-60 centimetres of snow are forecast in northeastern Ontario, while 10-20 centimetres are expected in northwestern Ontario, before the system moves through a large swath of northern Quebec.

Strong winds of up to 90 km/h are expected for Lake Erie and the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario.

The Greater Toronto Area could see strong winds of up to 80 km/h through Friday morning. No alerts are noted for southern Quebec, including the Montreal region.

The storm coincides with a change in Environment Canada’s national weather alert program

Cheng says the department is now using a colour-coded system of yellow, orange and red alerts, to match what is used in other countries as well as the World Meteorological Organization.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2025.