Environment Canada Says The Low Pressure System That Produced
The Cold Temperatures, Snow and High Winds Was Very Strong

Up To 1500 Residents Were In The Dark As A Result Of The Storm

The Southern Georgian Bay region was belted with a storm system that delivered high winds, cold temperatures, rain and snow. Collingwood area residents felt temperatures drop from plus 10 to the freezing point on Saturday afternoon (May 8th) with strong winds and gusts. Environment Canada confirms wind gusts reached 100 km/hr in the Lake Erie area and 102 km/hr in the Waterloo region.

Many residents woke up in the dark on Mother's Day. Hydro One reported that over 15 hundred customers from Collingwood to Singhampton were in the dark as a result of the storm. Crews worked throughout the day on Sunday to restore power.

The arrival of the cold temperatures came as an extra shock after the southern Georgian Bay region had just experienced what might have been the warmest April on record. An unseasonably strong, low pressure system that came out of Illinois is to blame for the stormy weather conditions experienced over the weekend of May 8th and 9th. To the north, Sudbury and North Bay were under snowfall warnings while to the south, Toronto residents had to deal with high winds, rain, snow flurries, thunder and lightning.

Environment Canada's Rob Kuhn said Saturday's wind storm was uncommon, despite the fact that spring in Ontario can produce some dramatic swings in temperature.