The GTA is bracing for a winter storm that is expected to dump a mix of messy winter weather on the city, including freezing rain and as much as 15 centimetres of snow
A winter weather travel advisory is in effect from Environment Canada for Toronto and most of southern Ontario
According to the advisory, brief freezing rain is possible late this morning before transitioning to snow near noon
As much as 10 cm of snow are expected in the GTA, but Environment Canada said some local areas could see as much as 15 cm
Snowfall and freezing rain warnings are in effect for many parts of the province, include some areas around Toronto
Environment Canada said York and Durham regions could see as much as 15-20 cm of snow, while freezing rain warnings are in effect for Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and Niagara
DRIVERS URGED TO USE CAUTION
The weather agency is warning people to be cautious of reduced invisibility due to snow or blowing snow. Southeasterly wind gusts near 70 km/h are expected, with the strongest winds are expected near the shores of Lake Ontario
“Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly,” Environment Canada said. “If visibility is reduced while driving, turn on your lights and maintain a safe following distance. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery”
The agency said the weather could have a “significant impact” on rush-hour traffic
A number of school boards around the GTA have already cancelled buses due to the expected storm, though most schools remain open
The Toronto District school Board said that buses are running, but there may be some delays because of the weather
In a tweet, Toronto police urged people to use caution if venturing out today
“Toronto is expecting winter weather & strong winds today. Please use caution if you must venture outside, and be aware of blowing debris and power outages at signalized intersections,” police said. “Slow down and drive to the weather conditions. Stay safe, everyone!
CITY SAYS IT READY
The city said early Thursday that it has already begun brining the roads ahead of the storm
“We actually started applying liquid brine last night throughout Etobicoke and North York and other parts of the city,” Vince Sferrazza, Toronto’s director of operations and maintenance, said. “We applied liquid brine to the expressways, to hills, bridges and high priority intersections. In addition to that, we also started what we refer to as spot salting where there has already been some areas of the city where ice is formulating, whether it be on the sidewalks and the roads”
The TTC said in a statement Wednesday that it was preparing for the storm by adding extra staff and vehicles, readying shuttle buses in case Line 3 (Scarborough SRT) is impacted, and carrying out anti-icing for all vehicles
GO Transit advised riders to plan ahead for the weather, to “be careful on train and bus platforms,” and to stay tuned to schedule updates
Toronto Pearson warned travellers that the weather “may impact operations” and advised people to check their flight status before leaving for the airport
In terms of temperature, Toronto sat at 1 C early Thursday. A high of 1 C is expected today, though it will feel more like -11 with the wind chill
Periods of snow and drizzle are expected to continue overnight, with the temperature hovering around freezing mark overnight and into Friday
Joshua Freeman, CP24 Web Writer
