Watches and warnings in effect as up to 10cm of snow expected before Thursday morning

There are several watches and warnings issued for midwestern Ontario ahead of a large system - CTV London Meteorologist Julie Atchison breaks it down.

There are several watches and warnings issued for midwestern Ontario ahead of a large system expected to hit Wednesday.

“The area lit up in Grey is a special weather statement - warning of wind gusts out of the southwest upwards of 70 kilometers per hour,” cautioned CTV London Meteorologist Julie Atchison ahead of the system. Ahead of Thursday morning “[there is a] snow squall watch through Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce County including the Bruce Peninsula.”

A wind warning is also in effect through Haldimand, Norfolk, and southern Niagara.

The large cold front is expected to sweep through the region on Wednesday afternoon, “with the passage of that cold front, we’ll see strong, gusty winds and that will activate the lake effect snow in midwestern Ontario,” predicted Atchison.

Although Wednesday is expected to start out mild, it isn’t expected to last.

The big question on everybody’s mind: just how much snow are we talking? Parts of the region should expect between five and 10 centimeters heading into Thursday.

“We could see some very active weather moving in - London will be on the fringe of all of this,” cautioned Atchison.

Temperatures are expected to continue to plummet as we head toward the weekend.

Here’s your London area forecast

Tuesday night: Cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers or drizzle. Fog patches developing early this evening and dissipating before morning. Wind southeast 20 km/h becoming light early this evening. Wind becoming southwest 20 gusting to 40 near midnight. Low 9.

Wednesday: Cloudy. 40 per cent chance of rain showers or drizzle early in the morning. Rain showers beginning early in the morning. Wind southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 increasing to 50 gusting to 70 near noon. High 11.

Wednesday night: Mainly cloudy with 40 per cent chance of flurries in the evening and after midnight. Flurries beginning overnight. Wind southwest 40 km/h gusting to 70. Low minus 1. Wind chill minus 9 overnight.

Thursday: Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of flurries. Windy. High zero.

Friday: Cloudy with 40 per cent chance of flurries. Windy. High minus 1.

Saturday: Cloudy with 30 per cent chance of flurries. High minus 3.