Sloppy evening commute expected as Toronto remains under freezing drizzle advisory

Those who braved the morning drive will face more messy, potentially dangerous conditions on the evening commute as Toronto remains under a freezing drizzle advisory after a winter storm moved into the region on Wednesday.

The mid-week winter storm brought a dangerous mix of snow and freezing rain to Toronto and the GTA, as well as parts of southern Ontario.

But the worst of it was over in the early morning hours, when a winter storm warning that was in effect for Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton, was called off.

Scattered flurries are expected overnight with winds gusts up to 50 km/h.

Temperatures will also plummet, dropping to -9C by Friday morning. If will feel closer to -17C with the wind chill.

As expected, driving was challenging on area highways and roadways, with the Ontario Provincial Police reporting over 200 accidents in a 24-hour span.

“This is a two-day event with freezing rain and ice pellets and freezing drizzle continuing on Thursday,” says CityNews chief meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai. “There is a great, high risk of travel impacts…if you don’t have to be on the roads… stay in if you can.”

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning drivers to exert caution, even with most highways now plowed and salted.

“Please be careful out there, the roads are still slippery,” OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said. “Watch out for everyone else and make sure you have your full headlighting system on.”

As much as 15 centimetres of snow and ice fell on the ground in Toronto, according to the city.

“We will continue to clear snow throughout the day, and likely over the next few days,” says Barbara Gray with Toronto Transportation. “We expect our clearing operations will continue into the weekend. Our crews and equipment are going to need to make multiple passes.”

Residents can use the PlowTO map for real-time locations of plows, sidewalk plows, and salt trucks.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) shut down the Scarborough SRT at around 7 p.m. Wednesday and replaced the service with buses until weather conditions allow for the reopening of Line 3.

As well, the TTC says 41 bus stops located in hilly areas which will be difficult for buses to navigate due to snow and ice would be taken out of service as of 5 p.m.

“Based on current weather predictions, this storm is likely to impact surface travel the most,” the transit agency said in a statement. “The TTC will mobilize additional operators and vehicles to ensure minimal impact for customers.”

School buses were cancelled across the GTA on Thursday, and some school boards went as far as cancelling classes for the day. A full list of school boards plans can be found here.

GO Transit says trains will be running on a reduced and adjusted schedule on Thursday due to the storm. Customers are being told to give themselves extra time and plan ahead. They can check the GO website for any changes to the schedule.

Pearson Airport is advising travellers to check on their flight status before making the trip to the airport. Dozens of arriving and departing flights were cancelled on Wednesday.