Toronto pummeled by snow pellets in brief wintry burst
Major winter storm expected beginning midday Tuesday, Environment Canada says
There was no calm before the storm, it appears.
Toronto was struck by a sudden and brief burst of snow pellets — resembling hail — Monday afternoon, bewildering residents.
What the heck! This hail just blew in outta nowhere! <a href="https://twitter.com/JayScotland">@JayScotland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCToronto">@CBCToronto</a> <a href="https://t.co/YpBvPS1tHL">pic.twitter.com/YpBvPS1tHL</a>
—@PatMorrell_CBC- Major winter storm coming Tuesday to southern Ontario, Quebec
- Bookmark this: Everything you'll need to know in our storm centre
Grauple roaring in with a snow squall. <a href="https://t.co/vcG8iWnujT">https://t.co/vcG8iWnujT</a>
—@JayScotlandBut as noted by CBC Toronto meteorologist Jay Scotland, the pellets were, in fact, not hail but graupel.
These styrofoam-like pellets, often mistaken for hail, "form when supercooled water droplets freeze on snowflakes," said CBC Toronto meteorologist Colette Kennedy.
The perks of working from home #467: missing the freak 5pm hail storm. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/toronto?src=hash">#toronto</a> <a href="https://t.co/Nna0bvarMI">pic.twitter.com/Nna0bvarMI</a>
—@SeeJillTweetHow can you distinguish graupel from hail? "Graupel is softer than hail and will likely break apart in your hand if you pick it up," Kennedy said.
"Hail is harder and usually whiter in colour and can have many layers," she said.
It's definitely the end of days. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toronto?src=hash">#Toronto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hail?src=hash">#hail</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ontariostorm?src=hash">#ontariostorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/aIgu9JhT1F">pic.twitter.com/aIgu9JhT1F</a>
—@jennyleeshee<a href="https://twitter.com/JayScotland">@JayScotland</a> hail is falling hard in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toronto?src=hash">#Toronto</a>. I thought storm started tomorrow! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/onweather?src=hash">#onweather</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/weathernetwork">@weathernetwork</a> ! <a href="https://t.co/lnKcwVCBpB">pic.twitter.com/lnKcwVCBpB</a>
—@tevaprincessA major winter storm is expected beginning midday Tuesday, Environment Canada says.
Toronto could see about two to five centimetres by the afternoon and up to 20 centimetres through the night, the weather agency said.
A Canadian <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperTuesday?src=hash">#SuperTuesday</a> ? One forecast model putting heaviest snow Tues pm right thru <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GTA?src=hash">#GTA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCToronto">@CBCToronto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCNews">@CBCNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/4YNdDdRPSf">pic.twitter.com/4YNdDdRPSf</a>
—@colettetown