Barrie and central Ontario will have more snow than usual this winter, according to a new forecast by AccuWeather.

The U.S.-based weather forecasting service specifically named Barrie as one of the cities in Canada that will experience significant lake-effect snow.

Sault Ste. Marie and London were also specifically named, but the forecaster stresses that significant amounts of snow could fall across all of central and southern Ontario.

“There are opportunities for several significant snow events from Windsor through Toronto and up into Ottawa and Montreal this winter, especially in January and February,” said Brett Anderson, AccuWeather Canadian weather expert.

Anderson added that it’s all thanks to warmer water in the Great Lakes.

In an interview with CTV News Channel Anderson said, “We are expecting anywhere from 10 to 50 per cent higher-than-normal snowfall.”

The AccuWeather report supports what was previously said by Environment Canada. In an interview with CTV Barrie, senior climatologist David Phillips said the winter would be colder than it was last year.

“For those who love winter, the fishing and the skiing, the snowmobiling, I think they’ll see more of a winter they’ll like. I don’t think we’ll see much rain. So when the snows do come, they’ll stay longer than they did last year,” Phillips said.

AccuWeather is also predicting a snowy winter in Alberta, but a freezing one in the Prairies. Atlantic Canada will experience a warmer-than-normal winter.

With files from CTVNews.ca.