What snow-clearing efforts look like in the Greater Toronto Area

A Simcoe County snowplow on third line in Innisfil, Ont. after a large storm blanketed the region on Thursday January 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Drost

Residents across the Greater Toronto Area are still digging out from a snowstorm that left as much as 50 centimetres of accumulation in some areas.

City and town officials within the GTA have said their snow-clearing operations could take days to complete and will likely be complicated by additional flurries in the forecast.

Here’s how some areas in the region are dealing with the snow on the ground:

Toronto

Crews in Toronto have been on the city’s streets nonstop, according to Toronto spokesperson Russell Baker, who says plows will be prioritizing routes used by emergency vehicles, streetcars, and other central arteries before they move on to side streets.

“But of course, we do know that it is going to be multiple rounds, right? We had a heavy snowfall. There was a lot of blowing snow yesterday. That meant that even if your road was plowed, maybe you came back an hour later and it looked like it hadn’t been. So we are continuing with our efforts today and over the next little bit,” he told CP24 Friday morning.

On Thursday, the city declared what’s known as a “major snowstorm condition” and activated its “major snow event response plan,” which means, among other things. that parking in areas labelled as a snow route is strictly prohibited.

“There’s new signage this year that makes it really clear that you can’t park there. Look for that, because we really are going to be out in enforcing that pretty actively, towing vehicles that are in those areas, and we really don’t want to be out of there, and having people risk a $500 fine.”

You can track the status of snowplows in Toronto with the city’s PlowTO Map here.

Mississauga

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish spoke to CP24 on Friday and said the city is doing a “really good job” of clearing the snow so far, and that crews are plowing roughly 134,000 driveway windrows, which is the accumulation of snow that’s placed at the end of a driveway after a plow passes by.

Residents who are in need of a plow are urged to call the city’s 311 line, which Parrish says has been given extra staffing in light of the snowstorm cleanup.

“We put extra staff on to pick up all the calls. We’ve done one complete swoop through the city. So if any streets have been missed, please call us right away. We’re on our second clearing because the snow continues through the night.”

Like Baker, Parrish asked drivers to not park on roadways at this time.

Track Mississauga’s snowplows here.

Markham

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti says crews have been working throughout the night to clear the snow and have serviced most of the roads in the city.

“The primary and secondary roads were done last night, but after 11 p.m. they started on the local roads, and I’m really happy to say that that 71 per cent of all the roads have been cleared in the city of Markham. Our crews will continue to work, and I have to say, I’m very proud of our staff, but also our contractors,” Scarpitti told CP24 in an interview.

The mayor encouraged residents to check in on their elderly neighbours who may live alone as snow-clearing operations continue. He said the city offers a free service for seniors who need help shovelling their windrows, which can be signed up for here.

Track Markham’s snowplows by clicking this link.

Vaughan

Daniel Sepe, manager of road operations for Vaughan, said the city has undergone two full rounds of plowing at this point and is in the process of salting its streets.

“Simultaneously, (crews are) out doing a lot of sidewalk clearing, so that is still ongoing and expected to continue into the weekend,” he told CP24.

Sepe said drivers in Vaughan have been “very compliant” so far with moving their cars off the road for snowplows and encouraged them to continue to do so.

Vaughan’s snow plow tracker can be found here.