PHOTOS: Wild Ontario winter storm knocks out power, thundersnow reported
A slow start to the winter was worth the wait for a memorable winter storm, as heavy snow, gusty winds, and rumbles of thunder arrived on Friday
A powerful winter storm pounding the Great Lakes region brought thundersnow and blizzard-like conditions to much of southern Ontario to end the week.
Travel was nearly impossible at times throughout the region as the skies opened up with copious amounts of snow and wicked wind gusts of 50-80+ km/h, which led to near-whiteout conditions at times.
Through 7 a.m. Saturday morning, this is how much snowfall was reported across some select cities: London saw 7 cm, Hamilton received 4.4 cm, Toronto accumulated 5.2 cm, Owen Sound observed 12 cm and Ottawa documented 15 cm.
Folks across the region witnessed unmistakable blue and white flashes of lightning filling the sky on Friday evening, a testament to the raw power of the low-pressure system as it passed by. Lightning was seen striking the CN Tower in downtown Toronto.
An unstable atmosphere, a fast-strengthening low-pressure system, and winds blowing off the lake can all combine to create the lift and instability needed to generate thundersnow. Heavy snowfall rates can accompany the flashes of lightning and sharp, rolling bursts of thunder.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses across southern Ontario lost power late Friday evening due to the heavy snow and blustery winds. Hydro One's website reported more than 30,000 outages during the height of the storm.
Dozens of scheduled arrivals and departures into and out of Toronto-Pearson International Airport through Saturday morning are delayed or cancelled due to the storm. Check with your airline for the latest updates as this storm continues across the region.
See the powerful storm at its height and its messy aftermath across Ontario in photos and videos, below.
