City of Toronto issues extreme cold weather alert
Posted February 18, 2019 9:02 am.
Last Updated February 18, 2019 10:42 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto’s medical officer of health has issued an extreme cold weather alert for the city.
Extreme alerts are issued when temperatures get down to -15 C or lower or when the windchill is expected to reach -20 or lower. Toronto is going to meet both criteria Monday evening.
The overnight low is -14 C but it does mean areas north of the city will be much colder with windchills in the -20 range.
Frostbite and hypothermia are concerns for homeless, young children, the elderly and those who already have respiratory issues.
The snow came in on Monday morning as predicted with a snow accumulation of up to about five centimetres from Newmarket to Markham, from Pickering to Oshawa and from downtown core to Georgetown and Milton.
The higher snowfall totals, closer to 15 centimetres, were from Oakville to Burlington and from Waterdown/Hamilton into the Niagara region.
The next storm system is expected on Wednesday, starting as snow but with temperatures rising between Wednesday and Thursday. Ice pellets and freezing rain are possible as a result, with the moisture ending Thursday morning.
