Snowfall warning issued for Greater Toronto Area and other parts of Ontario

Spring snowstorm surprises after mild winter Toronto's snow removal fleet has kicked into high gear, taking on a messy commute amid a spring snowstorm of nearly 20 centimetres.

Toronto and much of the Greater Toronto Area were blanketed with snow Friday as a spring storm moved through the region.

A snowfall warning issued this morning remained in effect until Friday evening.

The day began with light snow before intensifying in the afternoon, which impacted the commute home.

According to the advisory, the storm was expected to dump up to 19 centimetres of snow with snowfall rates of two to three centimetres per hour.

The snowfall warning stretched from Hamilton in the west to Kingston and Gananoque in the east around Lake Ontario. It includes Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Oshawa, and other areas.

"Not massive compared to what we've seen in past years, but this could be the biggest snowfall we've seen so far this season," CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter said Friday morning.

"I'm thinking most areas along the north shore of Lake Ontario will see about 10 centimetres, but because of an easterly wind tapping into cooler air, you'll get these little bands of local lake enhancement which will push it to 15 or above."

The city advised people to leave extra time to get around, especially with a slew of road closures and transit closures in effect this weekend.

Starting tonight at approximately 11 p.m. Lakeshore West service will be temporarily suspended between West Harbour GO and Union Station to allow for critical track work along the corridor, Metrolinx says. Regular service will resume on Monday.

Pearson International Airport said on X that it was preparing for the snow and advised people that some flights could be cancelled.

"Our crews are preparing our specialized snow removal equipment to keep the taxiways, aprons, and runways as clear as possible," the airport said. "With any winter storm, there is the possibility that airlines will need to cancel and delay some flights."

They advised travellers to stay tuned for updates.

Toronto reached a high of -3 C today.

The rest of the weekend is expected to be warmer, with sunshine and highs of 4 C on Saturday and 3 C on Sunday. Toronto is expected to reach a high of 8 C on Monday.

"A slight warm up is expected on Saturday," Coulter said. "So expect lots of melting and puddle jumping. Seasonably mild weather will eventually force its way back into the region by the middle of next week."