Published on Feb. 3, 2026, 1:56 AM
We break down the longest cold snap to hit southern Ontario in more than a decade. See how current freezing streaks in cities like Toronto and Ottawa compare to all-time records, and find out when a major pattern change is expected to bring relief.
Southern Ontario is in the midst of its most persistent cold stretches in more than a decade, with the region pushing more than 16 days of consecutive, below-freezing temperatures.
It is a run not seen since the historic winter of 2014-15.
Cross-polar flow has been relentless, with ridging in Alaska and a blocking high-pressure system over Greenland working in tandem to aim arctic air across the region.
Consecutive days at or below 0°C (current streak)
Timmins: 24 days
Montreal: 18 days
Toronto: 16 days
Ottawa: 16 days
Hamilton: 16 days
Windsor: 12 days
Here’s some perspective for Toronto. With the streak now beyond 16 days, it’s the longest streak since January-March 2015, when temperatures stayed at or below zero for 37 straight days.
Nothing can top Ottawa’s legendary streak below freezing extending 61 days–from Dec. 17, 1944, to Feb. 15, 1945–one of Canada’s most extreme cold spells.
As Montreal approaches three weeks below freezing, it is still far away from the 43 straight days recorded in 2015.