The 2023 fall weather forecast for Ontario is now out and we can expect frigid cold weather to taunt the province with an icy chill in advance of the winter season, according to The Weather Network.

Ontario residents can expect rapid shifts from sweater weather to shivering parka-wearing temperatures in what The Weather Network's chief meteorologist, Chris Scott, referred to as a "fickle fall" in an interview with the Canadian Press.

The fall season will bounce between extreme colds and more seasonable conditions from coast to coast, all thanks to a jet stream in the Pacific Ocean known as El Niño.

Here in Ontario, meteorologists expect bone-chilling temperatures to arrive in October, which could have a negative impact on the annual leaf-watching tradition that drives throngs of tourists to local and provincial parks and winding country roads.

Chris Scott told the Canadian Press that The Weather Network team expects that "the fall colours should be quite vibrant but things turn a little bit rotten and cold in the middle of October and will short circuit some of the really nice leaf-seeing time of the fall season."

Leafers may be left with a limited viewing window to catch the changing colours this fall, and anyone making plans to catch Ontario's fall colours should keep a close eye on weather forecasts and online leaf-change guides to stay up to date.

Despite all that bad news of icy-cold air and fallen leaves, the forecast comes with a bit of promise, however, as meteorologists expect that El Niño will bring a milder start to winter.

Ontario is also due to see less precipitation than normal this fall, though there is an increased risk for wind storms that can cause devastating power outages.

News of cooler temperatures comes just weeks after a scorching heatwave ripped across Canada, bringing temperatures that felt as hot as 41 degrees celsius to Toronto.

However, the mercury has plunged in the last week, and Ontario is now seeing forecasts warning of frost.

The Weather Network reported of colder temperatures moving into northwestern Ontario with a threat of frost on Thursday morning, and it won't be too long before similar frost warnings extend south to the Greater Toronto Area.

A brutal winter is expected to follow, described by Farmers' Almanac as a "winter whiteout" that will sweep much of the nation.