Cleanup efforts will continue on Monday as Toronto begins to recover from a massive winter storm that dumped nearly 60 centimetres of snow across parts of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
According to Environment Canada, Sunday’s storm brought approximately 56 centimetres of snow to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in the downtown core, with areas near Lake Ontario experiencing the highest accumulation.
As a result of the storm, schools and many daycares throughout the GTHA are closed today, and snow-clogged streets may lead to transit delays along surface routes.
Here is what you need to know about the ongoing impacts of Sunday’s storm:
Key Details:
- Schools and numerous daycares in the GTHA are closed today due to the storm.
- Drivers may face challenges navigating the snowy streets, given the significant snowfall accumulation.
- Toronto has declared a Major Snowstorm Condition and a Significant Weather Event, resulting in a prohibition on parking along snow routes.
8:05 a.m. – ‘Local Roads Are a Mess’
Toronto City Manager Paul Johnson emphasised that the priority for crews today will be addressing local roads and cycling infrastructure that still require plowing.
“Some of our major roads, the plowing is working well; in fact, we can even see some bare pavement, which is great,” he stated. “The local roads are a mess. The local roads do take us longer to get to because of our priority system.”
Johnson indicated that snow removal operations will likely commence in the next few days. “Realistically, we are going to have to begin our removal operations tomorrow and into Wednesday,” he remarked. “We do have to remove snow in lots of areas. We do have storage areas available.”
With the enactment of the Major Snowstorm Condition, a bylaw is now in effect prohibiting parking along snow routes.
“It is meant to allow us to clear those for transit use. It is meant to allow us to clear those areas where parking can be a problem,” Johnson explained. “We will be ticketing and towing if we need to.”
8 a.m. – Toronto Police Urge Drivers to Stay Off Roads
Toronto police are advising residents to stay home if possible due to hazardous road conditions.
“If you can stay home, stay home. The roads are really bad right now, and I know the city is working as hard as they can to clear them, but with this amount of snow and it being the record snowfall that we have had so far, it does take time,” Const. Shannon Eames told CP24 Breakfast on Monday morning. “Just stay home if you can, and if you do need to travel, take transit. Just try to avoid the roads as much as possible.”
Eames noted that there has been an increase in collisions on Monday following the major snowstorm. She advised that if driving is necessary, it is crucial to maintain a significant stopping distance between vehicles.
“Give yourself some time to stop and just be very careful out there,” she cautioned.
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