Snowstorm blankets GTA on Boxing Day

Those getting around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) this Boxing Day are being advised to pack some extra patience and be prepared to face some snowy weather as they hunt for deals.

“Really, if you don’t have to be on the roads and your area is going to be affected by the weather, the best, safest place for you to be is at home,” CAA Spokesperson Nadia Matos told CP24.

Environment Canada has issued a yellow warning for snowfall for Toronto and much of the GTA, along with a large swath of southern Ontario, with the city expected to see ‘significant snow’ totalling around 8-12 centimetres.

“Snow will continue this afternoon ending from west to east through this evening,” the warning says. “Snow will become locally heavy at times this afternoon resulting in areas of reduced visibility. Ice pellets may mix in with the snow this afternoon”

The warning notes that “travel will likely be challenging” for those in the affected areas.

By around 8:30 a.m., light snow had begun falling downtown, with several centimetres on the ground by around noon.

A yellow warning is currently in place for Toronto, York Region, Durham Region, Barrie, Peterborough, Belleville and parts of cottage country, as well as large swathes of southwestern and Northern Ontario.

“There remains some uncertainty regarding the track of the low-pressure system, which may impact the eastern edge of the significant snowfall area,” Environment Canada said.

The National Weather agency is advising people to allow extra time for travel as roads and walkways will likely be difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow and visibility could be reduced at times.

Matos said that those who do plan to head out should plan ahead as much as possible, checking road conditions and routes.

“In this kind of inclement weather, it all becomes about visibility. You want to be seen as much as possible and see other people,” Matos said. “So checking your lights, making sure your windshield wipers are working well, that you have extra fluid in your trunk, just in case you run out, and making sure you have an emergency kit, a fully stocked one, and that you have a cell phone charger.”

The City of Toronto said Friday that warming centres are open in light of the winter weather. Those locations include 136 Spadina Rd.; 81 Elizabeth St.; 12 Holmes Ave. ; 885 Scarborough Golf Club Rd. and 349 George St.

The city also said that multiple rounds of plowing will be done as the snow continues to accumulate. It will clear 3 m wide openings at the end of driveways that have a snow pile of 25 cm or higher left behind by plows, and road and sidewalk plowing will be coordinated to help keep sidewalks clear after a plow has cleared a road.

Toronto Pearson also advised travellers to leave themselves extra time to make it to their flights.

“Please check your flight status before coming to the airport and allow extra time on the roads when travelling to Pearson,” the airport said in a post on X.

Those heading out will also want to prepare for some chilly conditions, with wind gusts of up to 50 km/h expected. While Toronto is set to see a high of -4 C Friday, it’s expected to feel more like -17 with the wind chill in the morning and around -10 in the afternoon.

Similar temperatures are expected on Saturday before the temperature ticks up to a high of 2 C on Sunday, when there will also be a 60 per cent chance of showers.