The Toronto area is getting hit with high winds, rain and possibly snow as a winter storm works its way through southern Ontario ahead of the weekend.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement about the storm, which originated as a low-pressure system in Colorado and is now working its way northeast toward a large swath of southern Ontario that includes the Toronto area starting Thursday and continuing Friday.

The brunt of the storm effects, however, will likely be localized in the Ottawa area, in the eastern part of the province, where snowfall warnings have been issued by Environment Canada.

Nonetheless, the Toronto area can expect some rain, wet snow and high winds Thursday evening and overnight, said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.

"We are looking at some pretty messy conditions through the evening and overnight hours tonight in Toronto," he said, adding commuters in the Toronto area might be in for some delays Friday morning.

As temperatures drop through the course of the day on Friday, there is a possibility of snow, and there "may be a couple of centimetres ... in Toronto of actual [snow] accumulation," he said. Northwesterly winds are forecasted to start at 30 km/h, increasing to gusts up to 70 km/h later Friday evening.

The wintry weather is already forcing some travellers at Toronto Pearson International Airport to change their plans.

There were several delays and 99 cancellations for arriving and departing flights on Thursday. Most of the affected flights were coming to and from destinations in the eastern United States and Canada.