Ontario breaks free from extreme cold but winter may be a long, drawn-out affair

Meteorologists report that the coldest Arctic air that drove recent extreme cold across Ontario has moved away, and daytime highs are likely to rise above seasonal normals for the next 10 days; however, forecasters say winter will continue with more snow possible later this month.

Ontario is moving out of a period of extreme cold after Arctic air that descended from Siberia and the North Pole shifted away, according to Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell. He said the coldest air of the winter appears to be behind the province and that a spell of milder daytime temperatures is expected through the Family Day weekend and the next roughly 10 days. Farnell clarified that "mild" in this context means temperatures above seasonal normals rather than warm, springlike readings. He also noted the pattern change is linked to shifts in the jet stream and that winter weather, including further snow, is still likely later in the month and into March. Key developments: - Farnell reported the coldest Arctic air has moved off and the province should see less extreme low temperatures. - Daytime highs are expected to be above seasonal normals, with single-digit above-freezing readings possible for about the next 10 days. - Farnell said "mild" means above-normal temperatures, not springlike 10 C readings. - Wind chills over the recent weekend dropped into the minus-30s, with reports of felt temperatures near -33 C in Toronto and about -34 C in Ottawa. - A ridge on the West Coast and a flattening of the trough over the east are driving the change; forecasters still expect periods of snow later this month. Summary: The immediate effect will be a temporary easing of the deep cold and some daytime melting of large snow banks. Forecasters emphasize that winter is not over and that variable conditions with additional snow are expected later in February and into March.