Toronto got its first blast of winter weather on Wednesday with high winds, cold and a bit of snow — as well as numerous crashes in and around the city.
The city remained under a winter weather travel advisory issued by Environment Canada on Wednesday night. A low pressure system from the U.S. that landed in the morning brought snow and high winds to parts of the Toronto region, the federal weather agency said.
Two to five centimetres were expected to fall in Toronto on Wednesday. However, by 7 p.m., the weather agency said it recorded less than two centimetres.
Weiqing Zhang, severe weather meteorologist for Environment Canada, said in an interview that there were only trace amounts of snow in some places during the day but more could fall in the evening.
“So far, the accumulation is not much,” Zhang said.
As for the temperature in Toronto, the forecast calls for – 2 C overnight, with the wind chill making it feel like – 7 C. On Thursday, the temperature will drop, with the forecast calling for a low of – 7 C at night. The wind chill, however, will make it feel like – 15 C.
The weather caused some flight delays Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Travellers were urged to check the status of their flights with their airlines.
“Our team is moving aircraft safely, and as quickly as possible,” Nav Canada Operations said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
The Greater Toronto Area got its first snowfall of the season on Wednesday. A winter weather travel advisory issued by Environment Canada is in effect for the GTA, and city officials are urging drivers to keep a safe distance from snow clearing equipment. CBC’s Greg Ross has the story.
The weather meant Toronto’s salting trucks hit the streets for the first time this season.
As of 4 p.m., the city said salting had been done on major roads in the districts of Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke York. Salting was also underway on local roads in Scarborough and North York, the city added.
Vincent Sferrazza, the city’s director of transportation operations and maintenance, said the city deployed hundreds of salting trucks and all were in the city’s north end.
“We did receive an enough accumulation that we had to deploy our salting units for expressways, the major arterial roads, the collector roads, and even some of the local roads,” he said.
The city says it would normally begin deploying snow clearing equipment much earlier in the year.
“In a normal, typical winter season in Toronto, we would begin activating in November,” Sferrazza said. “Nonetheless, we are prepared for whatever winter should bring us.”
City officials urged drivers to leave extra time to get to their destinations and slow down.
“Everyone is asked to keep a safe distance from snow clearing equipment and crews to let them complete their work safely and efficiently,” the city said in a winter operations update.
“Making these adjustments to how you drive will help keep everyone safe.”
Dozens of crashes reported on highways: OPP
Environment Canada said the snowfall could result in “occasional low visibility” and hazardous driving conditions. The snow is expected to taper off Wednesday evening.
“Slow down driving in slippery conditions. Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance. If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance,” the agency said.
Areas north of the city have been hit harder.
Snow continues to fall and could make for a longer commute in the morning. <br>The OPP are advising motorists to avoid non-essential travel until the weather system passes and the roads have been cleared. <a href=”https://twitter.com/OPP_CR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@OPP_CR</a> ^ks <a href=”https://t.co/fgEyJ1wuXN”>pic.twitter.com/fgEyJ1wuXN</a>
—@OPP_HSD
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said on Wednesday that officers were very busy with calls for service, with dozens of crashes through the morning alone on OPP-patrolled highways.
“Collision reporting centres are very busy,” he said.
Just how much snow you might encounter really depends on your location, Schmidt said, with less snow in downtown Toronto, but bigger accumulations as you head farther north through areas like Orillia and Huntsville.
“The weather may not be coming down as heavy in some areas, but sometimes just that little bit of moisture can make for very slippery and slick driving and catch drivers by surprise,” he said.
In a video on X, formerly Twitter, Schmidt said the weather system was continuing to create adverse driving conditions on Wednesday night.
“The snow is continuing to fall. Wind is blowing, making for a very messy drive out on the highways. Crews are out there plowing and salting and this is a weather system that’s coming across the GTA will likely continue through the overnight hours and contribute to a slower commute in the morning.”
Peel paramedic officials told CBC News they responded to a number of crashes through the morning, especially on highways 403 and 407 — with multiple collisions on the 407 between Airport Road and Mississauga Road.
Some areas still digging out from weekend storm
Parts of Ontario still digging out from a major weekend storm are also expected to get another dump of snow.
The GTA is expected to see close to five centimetres of snow on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Muskoka, Ont., the area is still cleaning up from last weekend’s storm that left many without power and some stranded on highways. CBC’s Lisa Xing has more.
The agency said Wednesday that Huntsville and Baysville could see between seven and 14 centimetres of snow accumulation while Bracebridge, Gravenhurst could get between five and 10 centimetres overnight.
“Crews are still working on restoring power from last weekend’s power outage and weather event,” Schmidt said.
Officers from the Huntsville OPP detachment warned in a news release in the early afternoon that weather and road conditions were continuing to deteriorate.
“The OPP is urging the public to avoid non-essential travel during this time,” the statement reads. “Additional vehicles on the roads put occupants at risk and add additional challenges for snow removal.”
Warming centres open in Toronto
Four warming centres in Toronto, which opened on Sunday, remain open. The city opens its warming centres when temperatures drop to – 5 C or lower, or when Environment Canada issues a winter weather event warning.
“Warming centres provide a place to rest, access meals, washroom facilities and referrals to emergency shelters with additional supports,” the city said in its update.
The warming centres are located at:
- 136 Spadina Rd.
- 75 Elizabeth St.
- 12 Holmes Ave.
- 885 Scarborough Golf Club Rd.