More snow on the way for parts of GTA Monday

One week after a blizzard dropped more than 50 centimetres of snow on parts of the GTA, some more is on the way in time for the drive home on Monday.

A winter weather travel advisory has been issued for the City of Toronto and parts of Durham region.

The snow is set to begin around noon and stick around through the evening, making for a tricky evening commute. Five to 10 centimetres is expected with peak snowfall rates of one to two centimetres an hour.

Keep in mind areas near Lake Ontario (Toronto, southern Durham Region- Ajax to Oshawa, Hamilton, Niagara) will get into higher snow totals by tonight due to lake enhancement. Typically these clipper systems do not normally bring a lot of snow but do bring colder air in its wake

— Jill Taylor (@JillTaylorCity) January 24, 2022

CityNews 680 meteorologist Jill Taylor says areas closer to Lake Ontario will see greater accumulation due to “enhanced snowfall rates.”

Environment Canada is calling for reduced visibility during the snowfall and advises that drivers take caution.

“Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays,” reads the winter weather travel advisory. “Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas.”

The City of Toronto is still trying to dig itself out of the historic snowstorm the walloped the region last Monday. The storm caused major traffic disruptions and shut down most GTA schools for two days.

Snow clearing and removal operations continued over the weekend. The city says crews are prepared to begin salting and plowing in anticipation of the new snowfall while continuing the ongoing removal efforts.

As of Sunday, crews have removed more than 17,000 tonnes of snow on 216 kilometres of roads.

The mayor and city officials declared a “major snowstorm condition” due to the heavy and disruptive snowfall that dropped approximately 50 centimetres in 16 hours. The declaration has since been extended.

Crews have been able to clear and remove most of the snow from major roads and arterial routes across the city, any vehicles illegally parked that have impeded the clearing efforts are being tagged and towed.

Designated snow routes are all clearly signed — most are located in the downtown core and they include all streetcar routes. Parking on a designated snow route during a major snow event is subject to a fine of up to $200.

The city advised they will also be “friendly towing” some parked vehicles that are in the way of snow removal equipment and moving them to a nearby location. Crews will be reach out directly to residents if possible, to give them an opportunity to move cars before “friendly” towing takes place.

Residents are able to request snow clearing of streets, sidewalks or driveway that were missed by calling 311 or visiting Toronto.ca/311. Residents can see the plowing progress and check local streets at toronto.ca/plowto.