Toronto residents are getting a white Christmas to cap off 2020 as the GTA gets a mix of wintry weather thanks to a complex storm system.
While the city saw steady rainfall for much of the day, it began changing to freezing rain and then snow in the evening.
A special weather statement from Environment Canada that was issued earlier Thursday was upgraded to a winter weather travel advisory Thursday night for Toronto, Halton and Peel regions.
“Widespread snowfall is underway across south central Ontario this evening and will continue through the overnight,” the advisory said. “Snowfall rates of 2 to 3 cm per hour may be possible at times, with a general total of 10 to 15 cm of snow expected by Friday mid-morning.”
Environment Canada also cautioned that road conditions will continue to deteriorate this evening.
York and Durham regions are currently under a freezing rain warning, with ice buildup of up to five millimetres expected. In those regions, freezing rain is expected to change over to light snow or flurries overnight, but no significant snowfall is expected.
If there is a sustained freezing rain period, motorists should prepare themselves for poor driving conditions.
Environment Canada says they will issue a snowfall or rainfall warning as their forecast becomes more certain.
“Uncertainty remains high, but a Freezing Rain Warning and/or a Snowfall Warning may be needed for some areas to address these concerns...stay tuned.”
A snowfall warning was issues for Niagara Falls, Welland, Grimsby and St. Catharines, with up to 20 centimetres of snow expected, starting on Thursday afternoon.
In a tweet, Pearson International Airport said that anyone travelling Friday should allow themselves lots of extra time as traffic could be impacted by the weather and could cause flight delays and cancellations.
Police also urged motorists to leave themselves extra time and to use caution on the road.
The city said it began salting operations Thursday evening and that salting would continue on local roads overnight.
