Snow Squalls in the Land of Lakes

If you've ever driven from Bracebridge (2.5 hours North of Toronto, cottage country) to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), you know what kind of strange and chaotic snow conditions can exist and disappear within 20 kilometres / miles of each other.

Driving home last night, we left the clear albeit snow-covered town of Bracebridge, home of Santa's Village, where he and Mrs. Claus spend their summer vacations, and drove to Burlington, Ontario. By the time we approached Severn Bridge, or perhaps a little further south, we could not drive faster than 60 km per hour. Cars had their flashers on; various vehicles were in the ditch, with police and tow trucks heavily involved. All the way through until the top of Vaughan (pronounced this way: think 'lawn' but add a 'v').
Suddenly, there was a mere powder of snow dusting the highway and by the time we hit highway 407 going west to Burlington, it was nearly non-existent.

This term 'snow squalls' sounded funny to me as a Newfoundlander. I thought it was some silly thing these Ontario weather people dreamed up...another colourful word they could add to the repetitive list of snowy adjectives that has been too short for long Canadian winters. And if any breed of individual knows snow, it could easily be Newfoundlanders. But no, I'd never heard of them until I moved to the GTA and there is such a thing! Read Rachelle Oblack's Weather Blog definition of snow squalls for a better idea.

I learn something new every day.