Snow squalls, 50 km/h wind gusts to greet Oshawa and Durham residents Wednesday morning

Snow squalls, five centimetres of snow and winds gusting up to 50 km/h is what will greet residents of Durham’s five lakeshore communities Wednesday morning as winter puts a frozen foot in the door in December’s first week.

Environment Canada is reporting the snow squall warning with local blowing snow from Pickering to Bowmanville, with five centimetres of the white stuff expected and winds at 30 km/h, gusting to 50 km/hr.

The snowfall is a far cry from the 140 centimetres that pummelled the Muskoka region over the weekend, but it is enough to bring out the salters and other snow maintenance equipment so winter parking regulations will be in effect.

Temperatures will reach a high of plus 1 Wednesday but the windchill will make it feel like minus 8.

The winds will die down to 15 km/h by nightfall but Wednesday evening will still be a chilly -8 with the windchill with a 60 per cent chance of more flurries.