Toronto could be in for a classic Great Lakes winter and that means a lot of snow, but also freezing rain and sharp swings between mild and bitterly cold temperatures, according to the Farmers’ Almanac’s 2026–27 forecast.
The Almanac is predicting frequent snow, lake-effect snow and icy conditions across Ontario, with southern Ontario communities such as Toronto potentially seeing storms that hover around the freezing mark. For Torontonians, it means precipitation could change quickly from snow to rain or freezing rain before temperatures plunge again making for a rather joyous commute.
The publication is calling its upcoming Canadian forecast “Snow, Sleet, And Surprises!” Rather than just a deep freeze, it expects a winter marked by temperature swings and an active storm track, with mild stretches interrupted by Arctic outbreaks.
For Toronto, ice could be as much of a concern as snow. The Almanac says freezing rain may be one of the major wild cards this winter, particularly in southern Ontario. A storm could begin as snow, turn to rain or freezing rain and then be followed by an Arctic front, creating the potential for flash freezing on roads and sidewalks.
Toronto’s 2025–26 winter was one for the record books when it came to snowfall. There still might be some remnants kicking around the Port Lands. But, is freezing rain better or worse?
The forecast calls for January and February 2027 to be among the more active periods of the winter… obviously. January could bring Arctic cold and lake-effect snow around the Great Lakes, while February could see cold air bumping against some of those moisture-rich storms, producing significant lake effect snowfall across parts of Ontario.
And winter may not immediately disappear when March arrives. The Almanac says late-season snowstorms and cold snaps remain possible even as milder weather begins moving into southern Ontario.
A strengthening El Niño is also expected to influence the weather patterns across North America.
For Toronto, the overall message is less about predicting a specific amount of snow and more about expecting the unexpected. The Ontario forecast is summed up by the Almanac as “frequent snow, lake-effect and icy.”
The Farmers’ Almanac also notes that long-range forecasts are not a substitute for current weather information.