A powerful winter storm has brought Canada's largest city to a grinding halt, dumping up to 30 centimetres of snow on Toronto and causing severe travel disruption across southern Ontario.
Widespread Disruption and Official Response
The intense snowfall, which began on Wednesday, led to the highly unusual closure of schools across Toronto, York, Peel, and Halton Region on Thursday, 15 January 2026. Major universities, including the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, and York University, also cancelled classes.
The severe conditions forced both Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to cancel their scheduled public events. Provincial police responded to dozens of collisions and reports of vehicles stranded in ditches, urging the public to avoid any non-essential travel.
Transport Network Brought to a Standstill
The storm's impact on transport has been severe. Multiple road closures were reported across the region, including ramps on Highway 403 near Burlington and Hamilton, and sections of the major Highway 401 in eastern Ontario.
Air travel faced significant hurdles, with Toronto’s Pearson Airport implementing air traffic management procedures that disrupted numerous arriving and departing flights. Travellers were strongly advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport, where crews were engaged in extensive snow clearing operations.
Dangerous Conditions and Escalating Warnings
Environment Canada had initially issued a yellow alert but upgraded it to a more serious orange weather alert just before 8 a.m. on Thursday. The agency warned of a sharp temperature drop leading to dangerously cold wind chills, exacerbated by northerly wind gusts reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour, which caused blowing snow and drastically reduced visibility.
"A low pressure system will continue to bring significant snowfall to much of southern Ontario. Very cold wind chills by this morning will add to the adverse weather conditions," the agency stated. The Ottawa area was also set to receive up to 25 centimetres of snow before conditions eased by Thursday evening.
With streets blocked and the city at a standstill, the storm serves as a stark reminder of winter's formidable power in the region, prompting a unified call for caution from all levels of government and emergency services.
