Overnight rain transitioned to snow and flurries in Toronto which could make for a challenging commute Friday morning
Police say call volumes are currently standard following the wintry weather, but Traffic Services is asking drivers to use caution and leave extra space for other motorists
Meanwhile, speaking to CP24 Friday morning, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said emergency crews have been “very busy” and that there are “too many calls to count” on highways in and around the city
“Crashes, fender benders, people sliding into ditches and into walls and into everybody else on the roads here. We are trying our best to keep up,” Schmidt said
“You need to slow down, drive safe, and give yourself the time to clean off your vehicle”
Temperatures in Toronto are hovering below freezing at -3 degrees Celsius and are expected to drop to -11 C overnight, but it will feel like -20 C with the wind chill
As such, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health has issued an extreme cold weather alert for the city
The alerts are issued anytime temperatures in the forecast are expected to reach -15 C or colder, or when the wind chill is forecast to reach -20 C or colder
Three warming centres are set to open in Toronto at 7 p.m. as the temperatures drop. Those centres are located at
Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr
Metro Hall, 55 John St
Mitchell Field Community Centre, 89 Church Ave
A winter weather travel advisory issued by Environment Canada for the city Thursday night has since ended, but remains in place for York and Durham regions, as well as Niagara Region and Hamilton, where two to four centimetres of snow are expected to fall
The agency’s weather advisory continues to cover much of the areas east of Toronto, while Ottawa and surrounding areas are under a snowfall warning with up to 25 cm of snow expected
Locally, the city is expecting to see up to seven cm of snow by Friday evening, according to bulletin published Thursday
The City of Toronto said Wednesday that salting operations are set to be activated when the snow starts to accumulate
Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto Multi-Platform Writer
