Storm brings snow, freezing rain to much of southern Ontario

A winter storm has brought snow and freezing rain to much of southern Ontario Monday evening.

On Monday morning, Environment Canada upgraded a special weather statement issued over the weekend to a winter weather advisory.

It touches Toronto, Hamilton, Halton - Peel, Kingston, Niagara, York - Durham and Belleville. Just south, a freezing rain warning is in effect, which spans from Huron to Windsor.

Snow is expected to begin falling in the late afternoon or early evening and may transition into a messy mix with ice pellets tonight.

“Travel may be hazardous due to sudden changes in the weather. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” the weather advisory states.

At its peak, Environment Canada says between 2 to 4 cm of snow is expected to fall per hour, particularly during the evening commute. The total accumulation is forecasted at 5 to 10 cm.

Reduced visibility is anticipated, along with heavy and blowing snow with strong eastern winds gusting up to 60 km/h. The wind is expected to turn to strong westerly winds of the same strength on Tuesday.

In Toronto, approximately 8.5 cm of snow is expected, followed by freezing rain, which could cause treacherous road conditions, the city warned.

"Up to 8.5 cm of snow followed by ice pellets is on the way," the city wrote on Twitter late Monday afternoon. "[Please] consider taking public transit or drive according to the road conditions."

They city says salting will begin as soon as the snow starts to stick.

By Tuesday morning, the snowfall will taper to light snow, drizzle or freezing drizzle, according to the weather agency. 

TTC Severe Weather Plan

Anti-icing and snow clearing protocols are in place for all buses, streetcars and subways, according to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

Some subway trains will be stored in tunnels along the main lines to avoid issues getting out of the yards.

The streetcar overhead network has been treated with an anti-icing application. If issues come up on 512 St Clair, replacement buses will be available.

The Line 3 Scarborough SRT is expected to stick to its regular service route and trains will be running back and forth on the tracks overnight to keep them clear for Tuesday morning.

Private contractor tow trucks are ready to assist with any trapped vehicles and the TTC’s fleet of snow-clearing equipment will be deployed as conditions progress.