‘Hectic’: Toronto struggles through massive snow cleanup as crews tackle record 61 cm dump

Toronto is still digging out from Sunday’s record‑setting blizzard, with snow‑clearing crews working around the clock to widen roads, clear sidewalks, and restore mobility after more than 50 centimetres fell across much of the city — including 61 cm recorded downtown, one of the highest totals ever measured in the core.

But for many residents, getting around remains a challenge. CityNews cameras captured drivers spinning their tires, shovelling themselves out of towering snowbanks, and navigating sidewalks that remain untouched more than 24 hours after the storm.

“Here is not so bad — uptown is kinda not that great,” one resident told CityNews, adding that some sidewalks were still impassable. Another described the situation as “very hectic,” saying he had to help an elderly woman push her mobility device through the snow just to get home.

City deploys 600 plows, 1,000 staff

Toronto is now under a Major Snowstorm Condition, triggering the city’s highest level of winter response. More than 600 snowplows and 1,000 city and contract staff have been deployed to tackle the cleanup. Officials have promised more proactive, efficient snow removal following criticism of city operations during heavy snowfall in February 2025.

Mayor Olivia Chow says crews have already made multiple passes on major routes.

“Expressways have had four to five rounds of plowing, arterial roads and collectors have had two to three rounds,” Chow said. “We’ve completed one full round on local roads and sidewalks, and we are now into our second. In certain areas, we will follow up with clearing so that residents can get out of their driveways.”

The city prioritized key areas on Sunday, including transit stops and University Avenue, ensuring access to the hospital corridor. Snow clearing began at noon Sunday and is expected to continue into early Tuesday.

Where will all the snow go?

With snowbanks now piled several feet high across the city, the next challenge is finding space to put it all.

“There is no removal happening in a major way on major streets yet because we’re still plowing,” said Toronto City Manager Paul Johnson, who is overseeing operations. “[Sunday] was about getting some passability through. [Monday] is about widening that. Then we’ll get into the removal operations.”

Snow removal — which involves hauling snow to storage sites or melting it — is projected to begin Wednesday, when daytime temperatures will reach -11 C with a wind chill of -19. Thursday is forecast to be even colder, with a high of -16 C and a wind chill of -19.

The city says it has purchased new equipment, including snow‑melters and additional sidewalk plows, to increase capacity at snow storage facilities and speed up the process.

Chow says removal efforts will ramp up, especially on narrow residential streets, where snowbanks have swallowed parking lanes and left little room for vehicles to pass.

Officials are encouraging residents to call 311 to report any streets or sidewalks that have not yet been plowed.