Toronto sees first snowfall of the season, but when will it melt?
Torontonians woke up to the first snowfall of the season Thursday morning as the white stuff blanketed the city overnight.
The snow likely won’t last long, as temperatures reach an above seasonal average high of 5 C amid cloudy skies and drizzles on Thursday.
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"A disturbance brought much of the GTA a helping of wet snow overnight and into this morning. Generally, 2-5 slushy centimetres accumulated," CTV News Toronto Meteorologist Lyndsay Morrison said. "Much of that snow will melt this afternoon, thanks to drizzle and rising temperatures."
The city said liquid brine and salt was applied to expressways and other high-traffic areas overnight to prevent frost and ice from bonding to the pavement.
Plowing operations are not planned at this time due to this weekend’s “favourable” weather forecast and effectiveness of ongoing salting operations, the city said.
Plows will only hit the streets when snow reaches 2.5 centimetres on highways, 5 centimetres on major roads, transit routes and streets with hills, and 8 centimetres on residential streets, according to the city.
It’s unclear when Toronto will see its first major blast of snow, but motorists should be prepared for a wintry mix of weather late Sunday night which could creep into the Monday morning commute.
"We’re watching a couple of areas of low pressure, however, that could bring some messy weather conditions," Morrison said. "At this point, it looks like rain late Saturday and into Sunday. A second low pressure system could bring us a rain-snow mix Sunday into Monday, but there is still uncertainly with this one. The track could change, and the low could miss us entirely."
When Toronto does see its first major snowfall, residents are asked to wait about 48 hours after the snow stops falling to request clearing -- if the city has not already plowed that area.
FILE- A woman walks her dog as clouds and fog shroud the west end of Toronto on Friday December 28, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn)
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