Drivers advised to use caution on morning commute as Toronto continues cleanup from first snowfall

Passengers step off a streetcar during a snowy day in Toronto on Tuesday, Nov.15, 2022. Environment Canada is issuing its first winter weather travel advisory of the season for much of southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Those getting around the GTA and much of southern Ontario today are facing a messy commute as cleanup from the region’s first significant snowfall of the season continues.

A number of collisions were reported around Toronto this morning and drivers are being advised to leave themselves some extra time to get around.

“Have your full head lighting system on, then brush the snow off your entire vehicle, make sure it's clear, you can see all the way around,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt told CP24. “It's still snowing, it's still wet. You're gonna have to slow way down and give yourself lots of distance. It's not that complicated. But obviously we've had a lot of problems already.”

Those problems included a jackknifed tractor trailer which slammed into the concrete barrier on Highway 427, south of Dixon Road near the airport.

Images from the scene showed the concrete barrier smashed into several pieces and Schmidt said a light standard would have to be removed since it had been compromised and could topple down. The cleanup was expected to take several hours.

“It's gonna be a messy day here,” Schmidt said.

Traffic was slow around some of the other major routes Wednesday.

About 5 to 10 cm of snow blanketed the GTA starting Tuesday morning and the snowfall continued overnight.

The city said Wednesday morning that it was “all hands on deck” overnight to tackle the mess on the roads, but that driving could still be messy.

“What you're seeing there is the slush occurred because of all the salt that we applied,” Vince Sferrazza, director of operations and maintenance at the City Of Toronto, told CP24.

“So salt is working. It's melting the snow. And with all the cars driving it's creating the slush as you see so it is wet. So we simply ask all of the drivers to please slow down, give yourself plenty of time and drive according to the conditions.”

Environment Canada said Wednesday morning that a Winter Weather Travel Advisory remained in effect for the region, with an additional 2 cm of snowfall possible.

“Snow is expected to taper to scattered flurries later this morning. This snowfall is due to a low pressure system that will continue to track northeast across the region today,” Environment Canada said.

The agency said drivers should be prepared for slippery road conditions and reduced visibility.

“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions,” the advisory read. “Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Slow down driving in slippery conditions. Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop.”

The advisory was cancelled by around 1 p.m.

Toronto Pearson International Airport said there have been only minor delays as a result of the weather so far.

“Despite the winter weather, operations at Pearson are running smoothly, with only minor delays,” the airport said in a tweet. “However, as always, it’s best to check the status of your flight with your airlines or on our website before heading to the airport”

In Toronto Wednesday morning, the temperature sat at -2 C.  A high of 2 C is expected in the city today, but will feel more like -7 with the wind chill overnight.