Across Canada, Friday is shaping up to be a snow day – but not in a good way, as winter weather continues on the storm-weary west coast and an expected wallop of rain, ice, and snow arrives in Toronto and points east. On the eve of Christmas Eve it’s a gift for travellers akin to a lump of coal in one’s stocking.

The woes for travellers stranded by heavy snow at Vancouver’s airport have spread across the country and Toronto Pearson International Airport is advising that the storm will likely derail things further.

Most of Ontario is under a winter storm watch or warning as Environment Canada forecasts damaging winds, possible flash freezes and blizzard-like conditions into the weekend.

The agency is forecasting up to 15 cm. for large parts of southern Ontario with winds gusts up to 100 kph, and even stronger in some areas around Lakes Erie and Ontario.

Vancouver’s airport says conditions have improved slightly as flights are “steadily arriving and departing,” but the airport was still advising travellers to check with their airline for the latest flight information. It was also maintaining its halt to all incoming international arrivals until Friday morning so it could clear the congestion on the tarmac.

YVR halted all international arrivals for about 48 hours to deal with “congestion” caused by 27 cm. of snow Tuesday. The restriction, affecting 17 airlines and approximately 30 flights, was to lift at 5 a.m. Friday. However, Trevor Boudreau, director of external relations at Vancouver International Airport nevertheless predicted a “challenging week ahead.”

At the same time, the International Civil Aviation Organization continues to shutter two runways at Victoria International Airport with the facility – one of the hardest hit by Tuesday’s storm – having already received 36 cm. of snow and with a fresh blast of wintry weather expected to arrive in the region Thursday night.

Brian Proctor, an Environment Canada meteorologist based in Alberta, said another round of snow was expected before shifting to rain late Friday or Saturday morning, as frigid temperatures begin to rise.

“It does look like it’s going to be a fairly significant precipitation event again,” Proctor said.

The highest accumulations of snow are expected in the Fraser Valley, though he said parts of Metro Vancouver could see up to 15 cm.

(Ed. note: For the latest updates we suggest emulating legendary WKRP newsman Les Nessman, who explained that his “eyewitness” weather reports simply consisted of “looking out the window.”)

At Pearson, officials have advised travellers to check with their airline because airport operations could be affected by a storm forecast to potentially cause blizzard conditions the next day.

That would add to ripple effects from the disruptions in Vancouver and extreme cold in Alberta, which have already created challenges for holiday season travellers across Canada.

“By the time you look at what’s forecast to be in Toronto on Friday and what’s forecast in the Vancouver area over the next couple of days, we’ve got two of the major hubs in the country with aviation problems,” Proctor said.

Steven Flisfeder, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the storm will start as light rain, snow or a mix, before a cold front arrives later Friday.

“That will change temperatures drastically to the negative side and we’ll see a very rapid transition from rain to snow, at times heavy, plus very strong wind gusts.”

The combination of snow and strong winds will create “very hazardous travel conditions across Ontario, across southern Quebec and then, eventually, through the Maritimes,” Flisfeder said.

Bad weather on either side of the country has already resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations.

A statement from Air Canada said nearly 600 of its flights haven’t been completed over the last five days.

Air Canada said travellers should rebook online if their flight is scrubbed, while WestJet is offering full refunds to passengers choosing to cancel proactively.

WestJet reported similar cancellations throughout the week across its network.

Calgary airport officials issued a statement saying, “It’s been a tough few days of travel delays for many.”

Officials at the Saskatoon airport said flights were departing and arriving, but “compounding issues from weather-related events this week in other parts of the country, notably Vancouver and Calgary,” have led to delays and cancellations.