Southern Ontario is experiencing a powerful winter storm, with whiteout conditions worsening rapidly overnight into Wednesday and up to 40 cm of snow accumulation reported in certain regions.
Various school bus cancellations have already been reported, as the morning commute will be treacherous for many on Thursday morning. Numerous collisions were confirmed by provincial police overnight, with vehicles stuck in snow drifts in the GTA.
Track all school bus cancellations and other closures here.
By the time the winter storm ends, the province will see between 15 and 35-plus cm of snowfall, with peak accumulation rates reaching 2 to 4 cm per hour. Winter storm warnings were issued for parts of the GTA and cottage country.
Environment Canada initially warned of up to 20 cm of snow in Toronto, with the heaviest snow falling overnight. The snow is expected to taper off around 9 a.m.
The City of Toronto declared a significant weather event to prepare for the worst impacts on Thursday.
“Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations,” Canada’s weather agency said. “Take frequent breaks and avoid strain when clearing snow.”
Due to the snow storm, dozens of departing and arriving flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport have been delayed or cancelled. Airport officials are advising travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.
There could be more snow on the way
Toronto and GTA residents will get a temporary break on Friday, but another winter storm could impact the region over the weekend. A Colorado low is forecast to track just south of the area, bringing widespread snowfall to southern Ontario on Saturday.
Though subject to change, snow is forecasted to fall early Saturday morning, with 8 cm possible by the afternoon. An additional 5 to 10 cm of accumulations could be observed in the evening, and snow will continue overnight into Sunday.
It’s too early to determine the precise impact of the weekend snowstorm. Still, forecasters expect up to 20 cm of additional snow to fall in Toronto by Sunday, making Family Day weekend a challenging few travel days.
Saturday’s daytime high is forecasted to be -2 C, though it will feel closer to -5 with the wind chill in Toronto. It will be even colder in Toronto on Sunday, with a forecasted daytime high of -6 C, but it will feel more like -13.
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