Toronto prohibits parking on major snow routes as city workers dig out

Thestar.com
March 6, 2023

Toronto crews are working to dig out the city after a big storm overnight, declaring a major snowstorm condition which gives officials more power to clear major routes.

Barbara Gray, who as head of the city’s Transportation Services is responsible for snow clearing, said in a news conference Saturday that the snowfall overnight was more than the typical storm but not beyond the city’s capabilities.

Gray said they are focusing on “mobility and accessibility” for residents and visitors but noted sidewalk clearing “is proving challenging” because of the toll it takes on the smaller equipment needed to do that work.

As for roads, Gray said: “Crews are making every effort to plow the snow to the curb.”

According to Environment Canada a little over 18 centimetres of snow fell in Toronto Friday with some areas of the GTA getting between 20 to 30 cm.

Environment Canada meteorologist Raymond Houle told the Star that this storm may have brought the largest snowfall of this winter season.

“Pearson Airport, they reported 24 centimetres with this snowfall yesterday. The second best system was just a couple weeks ago, 17 centimetres,” said Houle. “It is March, so it’s getting later in the year. I guess significant snowfalls around the area will become less frequent as we go on. So there’s potential this is probably our best snowfall of the winter.”

The major snowstorm condition allows the city to prohibit parking on snow routes to allow crews to clear roads more efficiently. Residents parking along those routes, which are marked and will get bright orange signs to let car owners know, will have until Monday to remove their vehicles. Vehicles remaining on designated snow routes will be ticketed and towed.

While clearing is under way, snow removal won’t occur until Monday evening, Gray said.

Snow routes are largely along major arterial roads and will be marked with additional, bright orange signage.

Gray said residents can help the city by clearing the paths in front of their homes and help their neighbours -- especially seniors and those with mobility issues. Residents requiring help can also call 2-1-1 for local services.

Here’s what else you need to know:

The winter storm warning issued by Environment Canada for Toronto ended Saturday morning at 8:34 a.m., but that doesn’t mean business as usual.

The weather service says winds are expected to be gusting up to 50 km/h Saturday evening, with a high of 2 C. Temperatures will rise to a high of 5 C Sunday.

Despite Sunday’s projected warmer temperatures, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) won’t be issuing a flood message at this time. “There will be some melting, but that’s not going to be fast enough to really create any flood issues,” said Craig Mitchell, Senior Manager, Flood Infrastructure and Hydrometrics.

The TRCA is still warning people to stay away from bodies of water and ice due to slippery conditions. “Right now, there is no safe ice in the GTA,” Mitchell said. “The warmer temperatures are only going to make it even more treacherous.”

Real-time information about water levels in Toronto can be found on the TRCA website.

On the city’s end, all recreation and indoor arenas will be closed today and all scheduled programming is cancelled -- that means swim classes, indoor skating and all drop-in programs. Permits are also cancelled. A tweet from the City of Toronto’s official account said classes would be made up at the end of the season where possible. The city said centres will open Sunday as normal.

For those looking for respite, Metro Hall remains open as a warming centre and Agincourt, John Innes, Masaryk-Cowan and Regent Park community centres remain open for shelter only.

Toronto History Museums and cultural centres will also be closed.

But don’t worry, outdoor recreation is a go if you want to enjoy the snowfall -- the city has a list of toboggan locations along with safety tips.

Toronto Hydro dealt with scattered outages throughout Friday and Saturday. By Saturday evening, the agency tweeted that its crews had made “significant progress” across the city, but they would be working on fixing smaller outages throughout the evening and overnight.

Plows and salt trucks are working across the city, but due to the storm the city is suspending service requests. Any emergencies should be reported to the city by dialling 3-1-1. Residents can check with the city’s PlowTO map for recent clearing.

If you’re trying to get around on transit, check the TTC’s service alerts before leaving because there are several routes and stops that are delayed or not operating due to weather conditions or issues like downed wires. Line 3, the Scarborough RT, is completely shutdown and shuttle buses are running between Kennedy and McCowan stations.

Toronto Pearson Airport tweeted that “lingering effects” of the storm may affect flights still and warned travellers to check their flight’s status before travelling to Pearson. The airport’s departures updates showed multiple delays before 10 a.m. Saturday.