Heavy snowfall that began Saturday…

February 16, 2025 Canuck

Heavy snowfall that began Saturday afternoon continues to hammer Toronto and its surrounding areas Sunday, impacting roads, transit and air travel.

The city remains under a winter storm warning, with 15 to 25 centimetres of snow expected to accumulate by the end of Sunday, Environment Canada said in an updated warning Sunday.

Accumulating snow could make for hazardous travel conditions, and blowing snow could reduce visibility, Environment Canada warns. People in and around the city are encouraged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.

In a post to X early Sunday morning, Ontario Provincial Police warned drivers to slow down, saying officers were “responding to various crashes” in light of the weather.

A man in winter gear shovels his driveway next to a 5-foot tall snow bank on a residential street covered in snow — Toronto is expected to get another 15 to 25 centimetres of snow Sunday, according to an Environment Canada winter storm warning. (Saloni Bhugra/CBC)

At its peak Sunday, the storm could bring three to five centimetres per hour, Environment Canada says.

Parts of the Niagara Peninsula may also see a period of freezing rain Sunday morning. Storm warnings are also in effect for other parts of Ontario and Quebec.

Storm prompts closures, impacts travel

Ontario Provincial Police’s highway safety division is encouraging people to avoid travel if possible as the snow is creating challenging driving conditions.

Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, spokesperson for the division, said police have responded to multiple collisions and reports of cars in ditches in the Greater Toronto Area on Sunday.

If you need to be out on the roads….stay in control and stay safe <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#OnStorm</a> ^ks <a href=”https://t.co/9i0fXZsO3i”>pic.twitter.com/9i0fXZsO3i</a>

—@OPP_HSD

Crews at Pearson International Airport have been working tirelessly to remove snow from runways since Saturday night, with more than 160 pieces of equipment deployed, said Erica Vella, spokesperson for Toronto Pearson.

The airport has received about 19 centimetres of snow as of 1 p.m. Sunday, Vella said, the airport said on X, bringing the total accumulation for the week to just over 60 centimetres. That’s more snow than the airport got over the entire 2023/2024 winter season, she said.

On Sunday morning, FlightAware reported nearly 200 delayed flights at the airport and just over 200 cancellations.

However, Vella said about 25 per cent of departing flights and 28 per cent of arriving flights had been cancelled as of 11 a.m. Sunday, “so the vast majority of flights continue.”

A near whiteout on an airport runway. Three planes are docked at the airport. Crews are clearing snow from the tarmac with machines — Several flights at Toronto’s Pearson airport were delayed or cancelled Sunday morning, as crews work around the clock to clear snow. (Toronto Pearson/X)

The Toronto Transit Commission has extra staff and maintenance vehicles deployed throughout the city this weekend to spread salt, clear snow and keep lines moving through the snow, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter. Service has been stopped at 56 TTC stops due to the storm.

Subway service on Line 2 between Woodbine and Kennedy, and on Line 1 between Lawrence and Bloor-Yonge stations, is being replaced by shuttle buses Sunday due to the weather, the TTC said in an update. Also, all TTC express routes will run as local service Sunday, with the exception of the 900 and 927 routes.

Provincial transit agency Metrolinx has adjusted its schedules this weekend. The changes will be in effect from Saturday to Monday, it said in an email.

For Lakeshore West customers, GO Trains that start or end in Oakville will not run, but trains will continue to run every 30 minutes between Union Station and Oakville GO. No changes are in effect for customers between Bronte and Niagara Falls.

For Lakeshore East customers, GO Train service will be on a modified run leaving every 30 minutes between Union Station and the Oshawa GO station.

A GO Train is stationed at a snowy platform in Toronto during a grey day. A handful of commuters walk the platform — Metrolinx has changed schedules for GO Transit in response to this weekend’s storm. (Nigel Hunt/CBC)

Metrolinx is operating GO Bus routes on its regular Saturday schedule throughout the long weekend, but customers should prepare for delays due to the winter road conditions, the email says.

The storm has also prompted some closures. The Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario will be closed Sunday, while the City of Toronto’s History Museum sites will remain closed until Monday. The Toronto Zoo is closed Sunday, but still plans to reopen for Family Day Monday.

The City of Toronto says 311 requests are on hold Sunday due to the weather, while all Toronto Public Library branches are also closed.

In Mississauga, all city-operated community centres, arenas, cultural facilities and outdoor skating rinks are closed Sunday due to the weather, the city’s website says.

Parking ban remains in effect on snow routes

Toronto received between eight to 10 centimetres of snow accumulation overnight, the City of Toronto said in a news release.

That’s on top of the nearly 20 centimetres of snow that fell overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning, city officials said Friday.

The storm last week also brought more than 30 centimetres of snow to Mississauga overnight Wednesday, the City of Mississauga said in a news release. That’s the most snowfall Mississauga has seen in nearly two years, it said.

WATCH | Torontonians were already recovering from another major snowfall this week:

‘It’s a struggle’: Toronto residents react to massive snowfall

3 days ago

Duration 0:44

While many in Toronto are hunkering down after more than 20 centimetres of snow hit the city Wednesday, others are embracing the blast of winter weather.

The City of Toronto is keeping its significant weather event and “major snowstorm condition” declarations in effect over the weekend and possibly longer, depending on how much snow the city ultimately gets, Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, said at a news conference Friday, ahead of the storm.

Below-zero temperatures next week means the snow might stick around for a while, Gray said.

“Much of the snow that’s there will only move if we move it, so it’s going to take some time.”

The significant weather event declaration means the city will be exempt from provincial service levels for winter maintenance, as it will take longer than usual to clear city roads, sidewalks and bicycle lanes.

Parking on designated snow routes is also prohibited while the “major snowstorm condition” is in effect, to allow for quicker snow removal.

Several other municipalities are also under a “significant weather event” declaration, including Brampton, Mississauga, Burlington, Vaughan and the Municipality of Clarington.

While under the weather event designation, street parking in Brampton is prohibited to allow snow clearing crews to safety pass, the city’s website says.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, Toronto police have issued more than 1,700 parking tickets since the parking ban went into place, and towed 16 vehicles, the city said in a news release. Those ticketed face a fine of up to $200.