Environment and Natural Resources Canada has launched a completely revamped weather alert system that replaces the traditional grey, yellow and red warnings with a more intuitive colour scheme of yellow, orange and red.
New Alert System Goes Live
The federal environment department activated the new colour-coded weather alert system on Thursday, November 27, 2025, immediately putting it to work across northern Ontario and central Quebec. The updated system provides clearer guidance about the severity of approaching weather conditions and their potential impacts on communities.
The new colour scheme operates on an escalating scale of severity: yellow indicates hazardous weather that may cause damage, disruption or health impacts; orange signifies severe weather likely to cause significant damage, disruption or health impacts; and red represents very dangerous, potentially life-threatening weather that will cause extreme damage and disruption.
First Major Test in Quebec and Ontario
The system's debut coincided with significant winter weather moving across the region. Environment Canada issued orange alerts across parts of northern and southern Ontario where winter storm and snow squall warnings were in effect.
Central Quebec found itself under yellow alerts as the same weather system brought heavy snowfall predictions of 15 to 25 centimetres to the region. The yellow snow forecast for central Quebec refers specifically to the new alert colour rather than any unusual meteorological phenomenon.
Fortunately for Montreal residents, the storm largely bypassed the city area. Weather forecasts predicted rain showers or flurries for Thursday with a high temperature near 3°C and an overnight low of zero. These temperatures sit slightly above historical averages for November 27th, which typically see highs of plus-1°C and lows of minus-6°C.
Improved Public Safety Communication
The updated system represents Environment Canada's commitment to providing clearer, more actionable weather information to Canadians. By using an intuitive colour progression similar to traffic lights, the department aims to help people quickly understand the severity of incoming weather and take appropriate safety measures.
The transition from the previous grey, yellow and red system to the new yellow, orange and red coding marks one of the most significant changes to Canada's weather warning infrastructure in recent years. Environment Canada developed the new approach after extensive research into how people interpret and respond to colour-coded warnings.
As extreme weather events become more frequent due to climate change, effective communication of weather risks has never been more critical for public safety across Canadian communities.
