Toronto braces for up to 30 cm of snow in what could be biggest storm of the season

Snow clearing continues after winter storm Ottawa has now received more than 300 centimetres of snow this winter. CTV's Jackie Perez on the city's snow clearing efforts.

A winter storm anticipated to bring Toronto's biggest snowfall of the season is forecasted to dump up to 30 cm of snow on the city Friday evening.

Environment Canada issued a storm warning early Friday morning forecasting up to 30 cm of snow. Originally, up to 25 cm was expected.

Senior climatologist for Environment Canada Dave Phillips told CP24 Friday that Torontonians can expect about five to eight cm of snow an hour in peak hours and blowing winds of up to 70 km/h. In total, Toronto should receive about 16 hours of snowfall.

CTV News Toronto will provide live updates on the Toronto and southern Ontario storm below:

5 p.m. - In an interview with CP24, Ontario provincial police spokesperson Kerry Schmidt advised Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents to avoid travel, unless necessary, and give plows ample time to clear streets before venturing out.

“If you're trying to get home before the storm hits, best you leave now, and once you do get home, stay home,” Schmidt said.

“If you can do anything to help, [it] would be staying off the roads until the system has passed, until the plows have cleared the highways until the salt has been put down and [until] the roads are safe for travel.”

5:30 p.m. - The snow has begun in southern Ontario. Environment Canada tweeted a video showing deteriorating visibility over the Detroit River in Windsor, Ont.

4:25 p.m. - Hakeem Muhammad from city transportation services told CP24 that crews have applied liquid salt brine to Toronto expressways on critical locations to prevent the ice from bonding to the pavements and that they have situated equipment and staff at strategic locations so they can respond in a timely fashion.

2:45 p.m. - The TTC cancelled a previously planned weekend subway closure and added extra bus service to key routes across the city to prepare for the severe conditions.

Regular service weekend service will run on Line 1 and approximately 50 additional buses will be put into service, the commission said.

"This will ensure a good level of service is maintained during the storm and its aftermath," a release issued Friday said. "Torontonians needing to travel during the storm are encouraged to use transit to reach their destination safely and reliably."

2 p.m. - Toronto Metropolitan University announced it would close campuses as of 4 p.m. Friday.

1:45 p.m. - WestJet announced the proactive closure of all flights in and out of Toronto Pearson Airport as of 8 p.m. Friday evening until Saturday morning, pending conditions.

To travellers flying through Toronto with Air Canada, the airline has offered flexing rebooking options, as cancellations and delays are possible, it says.

1:30 p.m. - York University announced it will close its campus to in-person activities at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Virtual activities and services will continue.

12:50 p.m. - Senior climatologist for Environment Canada Dave Phillips told CP24 that Toronto could see its biggest storm of the year Friday evening, with up to 30 cm of snowfall forecast.

“If you take this snow we're going to get today and add it to what we've had the last 10 days, that's half a winter's worth of snow in 10 days,” Phillips said.

The snowfall is going to be heavy and wet, making it hard to push, plow, or shovel, the climatologist said.

“We're going to see a good old fashioned prairie blizzard here because when the snow starts falling about 6 p.m., it's going to be heavy – no easing into it – heavy right from the beginning,” he said.