Toronto braces for more snow this weekend, as crews continue to clear roads
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You may want to keep that shovel close by.
The City of Toronto says it’s bracing for another snowstorm headed for the area that could bring another 15 to 20 centimetres of snow this weekend.
That’s on top of the nearly 20 centimetres of snow parts of the city saw overnight Wednesday and into Thursday morning, city officials said Friday.
Since Wednesday evening, crews have been working round the clock to clear snow from roads, sidewalks and bike lanes, the city said in a news release.
With more snow on the way, the city 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 sees Saturday and Sunday, said Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, at a news conference Friday.
“It’s quite challenging, but we’re really well prepared for it,” Gray said.
“Our staff is doing a tremendous job. I think the residents have been also doing their part, we really appreciate that. But it’s a lot of snow to move.”
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.”
Close to 1,500 tickets issued for parking on snow routes
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.
Approximately 1,500 tickets have been issued since the parking ban went into place Wednesday night, said Vincent Sferrazza, director of operations and maintenance for transportation services, during a news conference Friday. The city has had at least 10 vehicles towed, he said.
Gray asked residents to be patient, saying crews have already completed four rounds of snow clearing on the city’s arterial roads.
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