Spring was nowhere to be found Tuesday morning as winter reared its ugly head, creating sloppy road conditions and collisions across the GTA.
Wet snow and ice pellets caused major traffic troubles on Highway 427 at Burnhamthorpe Road. Just before 6 a.m. a double tractor trailer rolled over, blocking all southbound express lanes throughout the morning traffic rush. Police are still trying to determine if the weather contributed to the accident.
“We are going to see wet weather through to about mid-day,” CP24 meteorologist Bill Coulter said.
Some areas of the GTA could see up to five centimetres of snow. In downtown Toronto, people can expect to see about three centimetres accumulation.
In the afternoon, the temperature is expected to sit around -1C with clear skies in the late afternoon and evening.
Dave Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said we are seeing winter’s last hurrah.
This past November to March, Phillips said, has been the coldest five consecutive months on record.
“Psychologically, we are just not prepared for this,” he told CP24 Tuesday morning. .
“There is a lot of weather rage, a lot of weather misery out there.”
Phillips said we have seen 30 per cent more snowfall and people have spent an average of 18 per cent more on home heating bills.
April is generally a cruel month, he said, but warmer temperatures are on the way for the Easter long weekend.
Temperatures are expected to become more seasonal for the rest of the week with a steady increase in daily highs, peaking at 13C on Saturday.
