Sudbury, North Bay areas brace for wintery blast

Winter isn't quite ready to loosen it's grip on northeastern Ontario.

Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for Sudbury, Manitoulin Island, North Bay, Powassan, Mattawa, New Liskeard and Temagami.

The weather agency said a slow moving low pressure system is passing through the Lower Great Lakes.

Snow is expected to move into northeastern Ontario later Thursday. Up to 15 cm of snow and ice pellets could fall in the hardest hit areas before the storm tapers off on Friday night.

The wind will also be a factor, Environment Canada said. Strong easterly winds to 60 km/hcould cause low visibilityin areas of local blowing snow.

Toronto is under a freezing rain warning.

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Slow start to spring

The mid-April storm warning is another sign spring has been slow to arrive.

However, last year's record-setting spring temperaturesmay bemaking it seem unseasonably cold.

Temperatures for the most partin the northeast have only beena few degreescooler than normal,Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillps said.

"[Last year] we went from snow to sweat," he said.

"Just as an example in Sault Ste Marie, on the first day of spring last year, the temperature was 26.7 C. This year on the first full day of spring the temperature was -2.4 C."