'Messy mix' of winter weather to hit Toronto region Monday

A man rides his bike along Queen Street West as snow falls in Toronto on Sunday, November 22, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

After spring-like conditions on Sunday, Toronto and surrounding regions are expected to get a wintry mix Monday with rain, freezing rain and wet snow in the forecast.

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory ahead of the arrival of a Texas low that "will bring a messy mix of precipitation" to the Greater Toronto Area.

“Precipitation is expected to begin Monday morning as a mix of ice pellets and freezing rain. Near midday as temperatures climb above the freezing mark, precipitation will change over to rain for some areas,” the federal weather agency said.

It noted that freezing rain remains a risk in the early afternoon for some areas away from the lakeshore where the temperature won’t climb above the freezing mark.

“By late afternoon, precipitation will change over to wet snow (with minimal accumulations) before ending in the evening,” Environment Canada said.

Morning and afternoon commutes are likely to be affected as poor weather conditions could contribute to delays, the agency said.

“Motorists are advised to exercise caution and give themselves extra time to reach their destination,” Environment Canada added. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Slow down driving in slippery conditions.”

In addition, Environment Canada has also issued a freezing rain warning for Halton Hills and Milton with ice accretion of two to four millimetres possible on Monday.

The temperature high on Monday will be 2 C. In the evening, the low will be -6 C with a wind chill of -11 overnight.

Sunny conditions are expected to return Tuesday with a high of 3 C.

High winds prompt road closures in Toronto, Burlington Skyway

The winter travel advisory replaced the wind warning that was in effect for much of Sunday. Environment Canada said Toronto could see wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour.

High winds prompted police to close at least two stretches of roadway in downtown Toronto on Sunday.

Toronto police said that winds were blowing construction material onto the roadway on Yonge Street between Asquith and Yorkville avenues.

To the south, firefighters said scaffolding at Portland and Adelaide streets was at risk of collapse due to high winds.

Both areas were closed for several hours to clear debris, but they have since reopened.

Elsewhere in the GTA, high winds also prompted police to close the QEW in both directions at the Burlington Skyway.

The bridge reopened to traffic around 4:15 p.m.