Winter weather hits the GTA
Posted November 23, 2013 9:01 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The first real bout of winter weather hit the Greater Toronto Area causing whiteout conditions north of the city.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Toronto while areas in southern Ontario were under snow squall watches and warnings.
According to the statement gusty northwest winds will bring a very cold Arctic air mass to the area.
This follows an earlier weather statement issued for the GTA for snowfall Saturday morning. Downtown Toronto saw a burst of flurries around 10 a.m. but it quickly cleared up.
Click here to see photos from CityNews viewers.
CityNews weather specialist Stella Acquisto said flurries are expected across the GTA into the evening and gusty winds will cause temperatures to feel as low as -17C.
Snow squall watches and warnings were in effect for Barrie, York, Durham and Innisfil. Click here for a full list of weather warnings.
The federal agency says a cold front is crossing southern Ontario and the snowfall is possible as the front passes through.
There may also be low visibility due to the brief but heavy flurries, and drivers should prepare for hazardous winter driving conditions.
The northbound lanes of Highway 400, north of Highway 89, were shut down just before 10 a.m. for a high number of collisions, OPP tell CityNews. The lanes reopened after noon.
Durham police warned that there were whiteout conditions and black ice north of RR 20 Clarington and north of Highway 7. Drivers were asked to use “extreme” caution.
