Toronto blizzard impacting flight schedule at Vancouver airport

A person cross country skis in Toronto, as Environment Canada warns of peak snowfall rates of five to eight centimetres per hour as a winter storm moves through the region, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

A number of flights between Vancouver and Toronto were cancelled Sunday due to a blizzard that buried southern Ontario in snow and sent temperatures plummeting.

Vancouver International Airport posted to social media in the afternoon, urging people planning travel to and from impacted regions to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

“Significant snow and cold temperatures in eastern Canada and the eastern and southern United States are affecting some flights at YVR to and from airports in those regions,” the statement said.

WestJet, Air Canada, Flair and Porter all halted flights departing Toronto, and a handful of departures out of Vancouver were also called off as of 6 p.m.

Flights to and from New York were also impacted.

The storm brought more than 50 centimetres of snow to the City of Toronto, prompting officials to urge people to stay home and avoid travel.

In 2025, the Vancouver to Toronto route was ranked the busiest domestic flight route in North America, according to the airport.