The City of Barrie has declared a winter event due to the impending storm.
Rain is expected to develop tonight followed by potentially heavy snow Thursday evening into Friday.
As the low-pressure system lifts northward Thursday, the rain is forecast to transition over to snow.
The snow may become mixed with ice pellets or freezing rain for a period Thursday or Thursday night. By Friday, Christmas Day, the snow may become heavy at times, resulting in hazardous travel conditions. Local blowing snow is also possible.
We could see 5 to 20 cm, with the majority of the snow falling early Friday morning, which is Christmas morning.
It means winter maintenance will be required on Barrie roads.
The Overnight Parking By-law is also now in effect. On-street parking isn’t allowed from 12:01 am to 7 am Dec. 25th and December 26th. This means no overnight parking permitted on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day into Boxing Day.
Residents are asked to remove parked vehicles from the road to help snowplough drivers clear the streets.