Up to 40 cm of rapidly accumulating snow to blanket the region: Environment Canada

A winter weather wallop will hit central Ontario on Wednesday.

Environment Canada has issued weather warnings forecast to continue into Thursday.

On Wednesday morning, temperatures will fall rapidly, from double digit highs to below freezing in just a few hours.

Environment Canada's senior climatologist David Phillips said the next 24 hours will provide a mix of weather conditions.

"[It was] 10 degrees this morning, and yet we could have the snowiest day of the entire winter," Phillips said of the wacky weather to hit the region on Wednesday.

"So a real dramatic change. It's like weather wars, so they are going to break out here in the Simcoe area from very warm, kind of Gulf of Mexico air that is going to collide with the cold arctic air," he added.

Wild weather is expected to create hazardous road and walkways conditions.

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The national weather agency is calling for the second winter event to develop on Wednesday afternoon.

Snowfall accumulations of 20 to 40 centimetres are expected to blanket the region, with two to four centimetres forecasted per hour.

Environment Canada warns of significantly reduced visibilities, to near zero at times, due to strong northwesterly wind gusting to 80 km/h. The snow squalls are expected to be the most intense Wednesday night.

The weather agency noted a blizzard warning may be required should the strong winds persist long enough into Wednesday evening, particularly for areas near the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay shores.

Snow squalls are expected to weaken and shift north of the area by early Thursday evening.