With snow hammering Toronto overnight Saturday, Environment Canada is warning that the heaviest snowfall is still to come and travel conditions could “rapidly deteriorate” Sunday morning.
The city remains under a winter storm warning, with 15 to 25 centimetres of snow expected to accumulate by the end of Sunday, Environment Canada said in an updated warning Sunday.Â
Accumulating snow could make for hazardous travel conditions, and blowing snow could reduce visibility, Environment Canada warns. People in and around the city are encouraged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
In a post to X early Sunday morning, Ontario Provincial Police warned drivers to slow down, saying officers were “responding to various crashes” in light of the weather.
At its peak Sunday, the storm could bring three to five centimetres per hour, Environment Canada says.
Parts of the Niagara Peninsula may also see a period of freezing rain Sunday morning. Storm warnings are also in effect for other parts of Ontario and Quebec.
Snow could stick around for some time, city says
That’s on top of the nearly 20 centimetres of snow that fell overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning, Toronto city officials said Friday. The storm this week also brought more than 30 centimetres of snow to Mississauga overnight Wednesday, the City of Mississauga said in a news release. That’s the most snowfall Mississauga has seen in nearly two years, it said.
While many in Toronto are hunkering down after more than 20 centimetres of snow hit the city Wednesday, others are embracing the blast of winter weather.
The City of Toronto is keeping its significant weather event and “major snowstorm condition” declarations in effect over the weekend and possibly longer, depending on how much snow the city ultimately gets, Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, said at a news conference Friday, ahead of the storm.Â
Below-zero temperatures next week means the snow might stick around for a while, Gray said.
“Much of the snow that’s there will only move if we move it, so it’s going to take some time.”
Storm prompts closures, impacts travelÂ
Crews at Pearson International Airport were clearing runways overnight Saturday, the airport said in a post on X, but the airport’s website showed several flights in and out of Pearson were delayed or cancelled Sunday morning.Â
The airport had received about 12 centimetres of snow as of 8 a.m. Sunday, the airport said on X, bringing the total accumulation for the week to just over 50 centimetres. That’s more snow than the airport got in November, December and January combined, according to the post.
On Sunday morning, FlightAware reported nearly 200 delayed flights at the airport and just over 200 cancellations.
The Toronto Transit Commission has extra staff and maintenance vehicles deployed throughout the city this weekend to spread salt, clear snow and keep lines moving through the snow, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter. Service has been stopped at 56 TTC stops due to the storm.
Subway service on Line 2 between Woodbine and Kennedy will be replaced by shuttle buses due to the weather, the TTC said in an update Sunday. Also, all TTC express routes will run as local service Sunday, with the exception of the 900 and 927 routes.
Provincial transit agency Metrolinx has adjusted its schedules this weekend. The changes will be in effect from Saturday to Monday, it said in an email.
For Lakeshore West customers, GO Trains that start or end in Oakville will not run, but trains will continue to run every 30 minutes between Union Station and Oakville GO. No changes are in effect for customers between Bronte and Niagara Falls.Â
For Lakeshore East customers, GO Train service will be on a modified run leaving every 30 minutes between Union Station and the Oshawa GO station.Â
Metrolinx is operating GO Bus routes on its regular Saturday schedule throughout the long weekend, but customers should prepare for delays due to the winter road conditions, the email says.Â
The storm has also prompted some closures. The Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario will be closed Sunday, while the City of Toronto’s History Museum sites will remain closed until Monday. The Toronto Zoo is closed Sunday, but still plans to reopen for Family Day Monday.
Warming centres remaining open Sunday
The following warming centres will remain open Sunday, the city said in a social media post:
- 136 Spadina Rd. (south of Dupont St.)
- 81 Elizabeth St. (behind City Hall. West of Bay St., south of Dundas St. W.)
- 12 Holmes Ave. (Off of Yonge St., south of Finch Ave. E.)
- 885 Scarborough Golf Club Rd. (East of Markham Rd., south of Ellesmere Rd.)
- Metro Hall, 55 John St. (East of John St., north of Wellington St. W.)
People do not have to call ahead to access warming centres. The city welcomes walk-ins.
