Up to 10 more cm of snow expected in Toronto Monday as city continues to clear roads

January 24, 2022

As parts of Toronto are still digging out from last week’s snowstorm, the city is going to have to deal with another blast of snow.

A winter weather travel advisory is in effect for Toronto, with five to 10 centimetres of snow expected starting Monday afternoon, Environment Canada says.

Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays, and drivers should expect reduced visibility due to the snow. At peak times, snowfall of one to two centimetres is expected per hour, the weather agency says.

“Southwesterly winds over Lake Ontario are expected to enhance the snowfall rates, especially for areas closer to the lake shore,” Environment Canada said in its advisory.

The weather warning comes a week after a snowstorm hit the city on Jan. 17 and caused major transit and driving delays.

As of Sunday, crews have removed over 17 million kilograms of snow from Toronto roads, according to city officials.

Snow removal operations from last week’s storm are expected to last for several days, according to a city news release. Officials say crews are currently prioritizing removal from areas with limited room for snow — so some areas of the city with “wide boulevards” like Scarborough and North York, the city says, have “sufficient capacity” to keep snow on the ground in spots for now.

However, some Torontonians are still struggling with sidewalks that haven’t been cleared.

Snow in Toronto-Milenio Stadium-Ontario — Martha Tait is a resident who is still waiting for snow to be cleared after last week’s storm. She told CBC News that the TTC bus loop at Avenue Road and Bombay Avenue in North York remains completely blocked. (Submitted by Martha Tait)

“It’s understandable that the City of Toronto had challenges with snow clearing soon after a massive blizzard. But it’s now been a week, and many local roads across our city haven’t been plowed and too many sidewalks are still impassible,” Coun. Josh Matlow said on Twitter.

The ward 12 councillor said he has written to Mayor John Tory and the manager of transportation services for the city, “requesting an immediate strategy to ensure neighborhoods are cleared,” alongside a plan to raise service levels in the future.

“This affects every neighborhood in Toronto — our city needs to be safe & accessible to all,” Matlow said.

CBC