Toronto will see additional 15 to 25 cm of snow on Sunday

Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and transit agencies are reporting delays and disruptions as a winter storm blankets Toronto and much of southern Ontario for the second straight day.

Environment Canada is forecasting an additional 15 to 25 centimetres of snow in Toronto, with similar conditions expected in other parts of Ontario.

The national weather agency says conditions are expected to deteriorate and rapidly accumulating snow of 3 to 5 cm per hour could make travel in some areas hazardous.

“Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow,” the winter storm warning says. “Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.”

City of Toronto officials say they received between 8 to 10 centimetres of snow on Saturday.  

“Crews have completed multiple rounds of snow clearing on all roads and sidewalks and this work will continue throughout the day and evening,” officials said on Sunday, adding that snow removal using dump trucks to designated storage sites will likely begin Monday.  

Officials are reminding residents that the city is still under a “major snowstorm condition” which means parking on roads designated as snow routes is prohibited. Vehicles parked on snow routes are subject to a fine of up to $200 and will be towed at the owner’s expense.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, more than 1,700 parking tickets have been issued and 16 vehicles have been towed.

Southeastern Ontario is experiencing similar weather conditions, with an additional 20 to 30 centimetres of snow expected to come down in the Ottawa area.

The storm’s exit late Sunday night will usher in colder weather for the Family Day holiday and the remainder of the week with temperatures well below seasonal averages.

Impact of storm on transit and airports

As of 9 p.m., over 300 departing and arriving flights were cancelled at Pearson International Airport while Billy Bishop Airport reported more than 50 per cent of Sunday’s flights had to be scrubbed.

Pearson airport officials say they’ve received 22 centimetres of snowfall since 10:30 a.m. Saturday, bringing the overall total to more than 63 centimetres since last weekend.

“Over the past seven days, the total accumulation that we have seen could exceed what we saw for the entire 2023-2024 winter season,” Erika Vella, a spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority tells The Leader Spirit. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck situation here, and we are excited and ready to get aircraft moving as soon, of course, as it’s safe to do so.”

Officials say anyone travelling on Sunday should check their flight status before coming to the airport.

Transit riders in the city are being advised about major delays and cancellations. At least 56 TTC bus stops have been shuttered due to the weather and are expected to be out of service until Monday.

Subway service on a portion of Line 2 between Woodbine and Kennedy stations has been suspended because of the weather, along with two stretches of Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Lawrence stations and between Sheppard West and St Clair West stations. Shuttle buses are running.

Transit officials say customers will also experience longer than normal travel time on all streetcar routes due to the weather and multiple vehicles stuck in snow blocking streetcar tracks.

GO Transit is also experiencing disruptions along portions of the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines, which are running every 30 minutes because of the snow. There are changes to service on a number of other trains and buses as well.

“We expect delays across the network as this winter weather continues. Please check our service updates page before travelling,” officials wrote in an alert posted to the GO Transit website.

The provincial transit agency is also warning commuters to expect delays across its GO Bus network due to the deteriorating road conditions.

Ontario Provincial Police say they have responded to approximately 200 crashes and 150 vehicles stuck in the snow over the past 24 hours across the GTHA.

“The roads are being plowed but the snow continues to fall which makes for very challenging driving conditions,” said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt. “It will take you longer to get anywhere you’re going, and the fewer cars that are on the roads, the easier it is for the plows to keep up. So do everybody else a favour, stay home,”

The York Regional Police Marine Unit is also advising the public to exercise extreme caution if planning to venture out onto Lake Simcoe. “Zero visibility and deep snow are impacting travelling by foot, Snowmobile, ATV/UTV’s on Lake Simcoe. Consider downloading the ‘What3Words’ app in the event of an emergency and assistance is required,” authorities said.

Storm forces libraries and attractions to close

The Toronto Zoo says for the safety and well-being of the animals, staff, volunteers, and guests it will be closed Sunday due to the storm. They expect to reopen again on Monday.

The Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Aga Khan Museum are also closed. All three attractions anticipate reopening on Monday.

The City of Toronto says all Toronto Library branches have been closed “due to the heavy snowfall.” They will remain closed on Family Day as well.

The City has opened an additional warming centre at the Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre for the duration of the extreme weather event to go with the five other centres that are already open.

Officials say the warming centre at Cecil Community Centre will not be activated as it has been booked as a voting location for the upcoming provincial election. However, space at other warming centres is being temporarily increased to make up for the lost capacity.

With files from The Canadian Press.