Wintry weather hits the GTA, with icy roads in spots
Posted November 10, 2017 5:42 am.
Last Updated November 10, 2017 6:13 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The GTA got its first taste of winter weather overnight, with icy roads and some snow, which affected the Friday morning commute.
Environment Canada issued a winter weather travel advisory for Toronto and the GTA on Wednesday. It ended for the city around 8 a.m. on Friday.
According to Environment Canada, flurries fell in Toronto and elsewhere in the GTA during the morning commute. The weather agency warned drivers could experience reduced visibility in northern areas of the GTA, with snow squalls in the forecast.
Trace amounts of snow were recorded at Pearson International Airport overnight, while around two to five centimetres of snow fell in areas north and east of the GTA. Areas near Barrie received around nine centimetres of snow.
680 NEWS meteorologist Jill Taylor said flurries in the GTA should end by noon. The high will be -2 C but it will feel like -10 C with the wind. The cold weather continues this evening with a windchill near -13.
In Toronto, there were some minor crashes reported and it was a challenge for drivers to get their vehicles up steep hills.
A garbage truck slid into a pole on Finch Avenue West near Bathurst Street. A TTC bus also had to be pushed up a hill on Finch west of Dufferin Street.
At one point, just after midnight, Toronto police had closed Yonge Street from Highway 401 to York Mills Road due to icy conditions. Two vehicles were involved in a crash, but no serious injuries were reported. The roadway has since reopened.
Const. Clint Stibbe said from 5 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday, there were “45 minor property damage collisions [and] 18 personal injury collisions,” but not all of them were weather-related. However, he did note that these numbers are slightly above-average.
GO Transit spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins said there were a few bus cancellations. Click here for GO service updates.
