A large snowball fight breaks out on The Mall in Washington March 3, 2014. A powerful winter storm hit the U.S. East Coast on Monday with freezing rain, snow and arctic cold, forcing cancellation of about 2,250 flights, shutting down Washington and closin
A large snowball fight breaks out on The Mall in Washington March 3, 2014. A powerful winter storm hit the U.S. East Coast on Monday with freezing rain, snow and arctic cold, forcing cancellation of about 2,250 flights, shutting down Washington and closing schools and local governments. REUTERS/Gary Cameron A large snowball fight breaks

Environment Canada cautioned residents on Wednesday to brace for winter as storm Vulcan intensifies into a powerhouse storm and dumps dump heavy snow just across the border in the most heavily populated region of the country.

According to a statement from Environment Canada published on Tuesday morning, the low pressure system is intensifying as it nears the Great Lakes. Most of southern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes have been forecast to bear the brunt of the weather disturbance.

On Wednesday, the storm will pass through and hit the Bay of Fundy on Thursday.

Residents in most of southern Ontario were warned to brace for snowfall from 5 to 15 centimetres in some areas, and 15 to 25 centimetres in others.

The same also goes for Quebec in the areas south of the Blanc-Sablon region.

The Maritime provinces may receive more than 25 millimetres of snow or freezing rain.

Southern Ontario temperatures could drop from a forecast high of 8 on Tuesday to -7 by Wednesday afternoon, then plummet to -15 overnight.

Motorists were advised to remain safe on the roads as poor visibility could develop.

Forecast impact of winter storm Vulcan over Canada:

  • Snow area Tuesday night: Light accumulating snow into parts of southern Ontario from Windsor to Toronto, mainly after midnight.
  • Snow area Wednesday - Wednesday night: The Ontario 401/Autoroute 20 corridor across southern Ontario and southern Quebec and points south to the U.S. border, including the eastern townships of Quebec, spreading into New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and adjacent portions of Nova Scotia late Wednesday or Wednesday night.
  • Snow area Thursday: Light snow becoming scattered and winding down from New Brunswick across the Gaspe Peninsula and north to Labrador.
  • How much snow: Over 1 foot (30 cm) possible near and especially south of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec as well as much of New Brunswick. Potential for 6+ inches (15+ cm) of snow along the 401 corridor in Ontario, including Toronto.
  • Wind: North winds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h) with higher gusts will lead to blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibility.