Up to 40 cm of snow expected in southwestern Ontario

Climatologist Dave Phillips says Waterloo Region has gotten more than it's fair share of snow this season.

Southwestern Ontario will be digging out from yet another snowstorm on Sunday.

Environment Canada issued the warning ahead of the latest winter wallop.

The agency said Waterloo Region, Guelph, Elora and Brantford could get 10 to 20 cm of snow throughout the day.

Communities to the east and north are expected to get anywhere between 20 and 40 cm of snow, including Rockton, Hamilton, Milton and the Greater Toronto Area.

“Snow will taper to periods of light snow or flurries this evening for southwestern Ontario and overnight for the Greater Golden Horseshoe,” the alert said.

Visibility on the roads could also be an issue for drivers as Environment Canada is predicting gusts of 40 to 50 km/h.

Overworked crews

The back-to-back snowstorms have taken a toll on crews and supplies in Waterloo Region.

“Based on a five-year average, Kitchener typically experiences five snow events from November through April annually,” the city said. “As of January 21, seven snow events have been declared, resulting in greater demand on city staff, equipment and resources like sand and road salt.”

Cambridge is in a similar position.

“Crews have been deployed on an ongoing basis this month as we have had at least triple the amount of Snow Events so far in January,” the city said.

Like Kitchener, Cambridge has already declared seven snow events this season. Waterloo had six and five were issued in Wellesley. Wilmot and North Dumfries have each declared two snow events so far, while Woolwich has had three significant weather events.

Costly cleanup

Since the weather is unpredictable, communities plan ahead for a very snowy season.

“The [City of Kitchener] manages annual fluctuations in winter maintenance spending through a weather events reserve,” officials told CTV News. “In years with mild conditions, any surplus is contributed to the reserve, while in more active winters—such as this year—any deficit is funded from the reserve. This helps ensure stable tax funding despite unpredictable weather patterns.”

The city also said they spent approximately $924,000 on winter maintenance between Jan. 1 and Jan. 23, 2026.

Salt shortage

Another complication this season has been the provincial salt shortage.

“With the significant impact of winter weather compared to recent seasons, the entire road salt supply chain continues to experience high demand for deicing salt,” explained Compass Minerals, the company operating the Goderich salt mine. “We are actively working to fulfill all current orders, prioritizing shipments for our municipal clients. We are focused on moving product as efficiently as possible, as well as maximizing daily output from our Goderich mine to ensure optimal, full-season inventory availability across our network.”

Local suppliers are also struggling to meet the demand from independent contractors, businesses and homeowners.

“Supply is low, demand is high,” Brian Tester, at Salt Connection in Kitchener, told CTV News on Jan. 6. “It’s probably well over 100 per cent more expensive than it was on Dec. 1.”

Many communities are doing their best to limit the use of road salt. Not just because of the shortage, but also its effectiveness at lower temperatures and environmental impact.

While Kitchener said it has enough salt supply for the season, it has increased its use of sand on main roads, as well as steep hills and curves. They also warned drivers that back roads and residential streets could see “more snow-packed conditions.”