Snowfall warning in effect Thursday as winter storm blankets Toronto

• Follow updated coverage of the storm that hit Toronto on Wednesday night here. 

Toronto remained under a snowfall warning Thursday morning after a winter storm blanketed the city with snow Wednesday night.

Environment Canada said the storm, which hit parts of southern Ontario, brought "significant snowfall" to the city. Snow is expected to taper off Thursday morning after the heaviest snow fell Wednesday night, it said. 

In its latest forecast, the federal weather agency said the city would receive between 15 and 20 centimetres of snow and ice pellets. 

People are advised to take frequent breaks and avoid strain while clearing snow, Environment Canada said. 

All Halton District and Halton Catholic District Schools and administrative centres are closed. All bus services are cancelled, Halton Student Transportation Services said Thursday morning. 

In a post on X, the Toronto District School Board said it will monitor the storm and provide an update by 6 a.m. Thursday about potential school bus delays or cancellations. 

GO Transit to operate on special schedule Thursday

In an email, Metrolinx said GO Transit and UP Express were continuing to operate on regular schedules on Wednesday, but there will be a special schedule in place on Thursday, which means some GO Train trips will be cancelled or modified.

"With significant snow expected over night, we will run on a special schedule tomorrow, February 13, to ensure we can maintain reliable service while keeping our trains clear of snow and ice build-up," Metrolinx said.

Customers were urged to check out the GO Transit website for modified trip times.

Police urge people to stay home if possible

Ontario Provincial Police's highway safety division said it received several calls for service all across the Greater Toronto Area on Wednesday night.

"Well, the winter weather has definitely arrived in the GTA," Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, spokesperson for the division, said from Highway 400.

"Traffic is still moving but the snow is coming down and it's starting to accumulate on the lanes, making for some slippery conditions."

Schmidt said people should stay home if they can. He said if people have to drive, they should drive according to the weather conditions, turn on their vehicle's full headlight system and drive with a full tank of gas.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Toronto police said: "If you can, stay home and stay off the roads as conditions may be challenging. If you have to drive, slow down and drive according to weather conditions."

Several areas surrounding the GTA also remained under a snowfall warning on Wednesday night, while other areas remained under a winter storm warning with some places expecting up to 30 centimetres of snow.

The storm is a widespread system affecting southern and eastern Ontario, according to Geoff Coulson, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada. 

Though most of the snow is expected to have fallen by Thursday morning, Coulson said ice pellets and freezing rain in some areas could create slick conditions for commuters. 

Parking on snow routes banned from 10 p.m., city says 

The City of Toronto declared a significant weather event and a "major snowstorm condition" ahead of the winter storm. The declarations came into effect at 10 p.m. on Wednesday. 

In an advisory, the city said it would provide an update on snow clearing operations on Thursday morning.

While the declarations are in place, parking on roads designated as snow routes is banned to make way for winter maintenance equipment, the city said in a news release Wednesday.

These routes are designated by signs that are up all year round, Barbara Gray, the city's general manager of transportation services, said during a news conference Wednesday. 

Vehicles parked on snow routes will be towed and owners could be fined up to $200, the city said. 

The significant weather event declaration means the city will be exempt from provincial service levels for winter maintenance, as it will take longer than usual to clear city roads, sidewalks and bicycle lanes. 

"We anticipate these declarations will remain in effect until Tuesday, but they could be cancelled sooner if the forecast changes and the roads are deemed safe and passable," she said. 

People are being asked to avoid plowing snow from their private property onto city roads or sidewalks. 

TTC deploying extra workers, maintenance vehicles

In a news release, the TTC advised people to take public transit instead of driving during the storm.

A planned subway closure on Line 1 between Bloor-Yonge and Osgoode stations at 11 p.m was cancelled on Wednesday, it said, but the closures will happen on Thursday and Friday. 

The TTC said it deployed additional TTC employees and maintenance vehicles throughout the transit system to spread salt and clear surfaces of snow and to keep signals, switches and overhead power operating.

The transit system also monitored 56 bus stops in areas where buses have often had trouble stopping due to snow or ice on the ground.

In addition, the TTC said it would do the following to ensure service runs smoothly:

• Run "anti-icing" trains to keep the power rail and tracks clear of snow and ice.
• Spray anti-icing on the streetcar overhead network and on the ground at all bus, streetcar, and subway divisions.

A temporary Line 2 shutdown of subway service between Woodbine and Broadview stations, which lasted until about 5:45 p.m., complicated the commute home. Regular service resumed after the shutdown.

WATCH | CBC's Clara Pasieka explains storm preparations: 

Heads up, Toronto: A major snowfall is headed for the city

1 month ago

Duration 2:52

A bout of heavy snowfall is expected to hit Toronto and much of southern Ontario on Wednesday. CBC's Clara Pasieka has more details on the storm — and how city crews are planning to deal with the snow.

Several flights cancelled, Pearson Airport says

Several airlines cancelled flights due to the storm and delays affected some flights, Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Nav Canada Operations said in posts on X on Wednesday. 

People flying on Wednesday and Thursday were advised to check the status of their flight with their airline, the airport said.  Airport staff will clear snow off runways, taxiways and aprons on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, it said.

Public Safety Canada said everyone is encouraged to make an emergency plan and have an emergency kit that contains drinking water, food, medicine, a first aid kit and a flashlight.