Torontonians will see a much smaller dose of winter weather on Friday as crews continue to clean up streets and sidewalks in Canada’s largest city following Thursday’s major winter storm.
According to data from Environment Canada, as of about 5 p.m. on Thursday, about 22 cm of snow fell over a 24-hour period at Toronto Pearson International Airport. In Scarborough North, approximately 48 to 53 cm of snow had fallen.
- Visit CP24’s weather hub for updated information on Toronto’s forecast
- IN PICTURES: What Toronto looked like during major winter wallop
The storm shuttered elementary and high schools, daycares, and universities, along with some recreation centres and municipal buildings in parts of the GTA outside Toronto.
The City of Toronto has declared a Major Snowstorm Condition in response to the significant snowfall.
Russell Baker, a spokesperson for the City of Toronto, told CP24 that the declaration means the municipality will enact some bylaws to help keep the city moving, including designated snow routes where parking is prohibited.
Baker said that snow-clearing efforts will continue throughout the day today.
“Overnight, crews have been out around the clock really to continue with the snow plowing efforts… along with salting,” he said Friday. “This is going to be a multi-day event.”
He said crews will be prioritizing key routes, including those used by emergency vehicles and streetcars.
“We do know that it is going to be multiple rounds,” Baker added.
“We had a heavy snowfall. There was a lot of blowing snow yesterday that meant that even if your road was plowed, maybe you came back out an hour later and it looked like it hadn’t been.”
He also cautioned people to keep an eye out for signage indicating where drivers can and can’t park.
He said parking in prohibited areas could cost drivers as much as $500.
“There is new signage this year that makes it really clear that you can’t park there,” Baker noted.
“We really are going to be out enforcing that pretty actively, towing vehicles that are in those areas.”
Canada’s national weather agency said more winter weather is on its way for Toronto on Friday but snowfall totals will be significantly less that what the city experienced on Thursday.
About two centimetres is expected to fall this afternoon followed by an additional two to four centimetres tonight.
Toronto will see a high of -2 C on Friday, but it will feel closer to -13 with the wind chill.
