My finance view

After a 24-hour break that sent hordes of people to the malls, the snow is back.

Torontonians were expected to wake up today to heavy snow and bitter winds. And it’s only the first official day of winter.

"The storm is going to bring in some snow and end with very windy conditions," said Environment Canada meteorologist Mitch Meredith.

Those winds could reach 60 km/h by the time it’s over at about noon, making it feel as cold as minus 27 C. About 15 centimetres of snow are expected to fall and visibility is expected to be poor for the duration of the storm.

Police are asking people to stay off the roads if possible. "Give the plows the time to do their job," said OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford.

According to Environment Canada, Tuesday could be nerve-wracking too. More snow is expected for the GTA, with rain to follow on Wednesday.

Yesterday’s sunny, if cold, interlude sent thousands to the malls, hoping to wrap up their Christmas shopping.

Dimitra Klisouris, 28, was originally planning on getting her shopping done today – until she checked the weather forecast individual health insurance plans.

"When we heard about the storm we thought, let’s get it all done now," she said, waiting to meet her brother inside the Eaton Centre.

The mall was packed at 6 p.m. yesterday, but shoppers said they were spending less this holiday season.

"I think I’ve got a little smarter in terms of budgeting. I have a big family – there are eight of us – and I usually spend about $1,000. But I’ve probably cut that in half," said Klisouris.

Rick Monteith and his wife Chris were also on a tighter budget.

"Our jobs are at risk," said Rick Monteith, shopping at The Bay just south of the Eaton Centre. The couple work at the General Motors plant in Oshawa. "We’ve scaled down our Christmas budget."

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