How the City of Toronto is preparing for the big storm
Toronto is bracing for another dump of snow forecast to make for messy and dangerous commutes heading into the weekend.
Environment Canada is predicting anywhere from 20 to 30 centimetres of snow starting Friday evening and into Saturday morning.
The weather agency is warning commuters to expect heavy and blowing snow that will significantly reduce visibility and leave roads difficult to navigate — particularly at the storm's peak between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
"I hope you've got a four-wheel drive vehicle if you have to get around during these hours," said David Rogers, senior meteorologist with Environment Canada.
"Just be patient. If you take your time, you'll probably get to your destination."
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Rogers says a Texas low is to blame for the storm, which will be made worse by winds coming from the east. At its worst, snow could fall at six centimetres per hour.
The weather agency has most of southern Ontario under a snowfall or winter storm warning, including all of the GTA, but Rogers notes snowfall in areas closer to the lakeshore may be less severe.
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How Toronto is preparing
Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said Friday morning the city is ready to keep its some 5,700 kilometres of roadways clear of snow.
But as a precaution, residents are encouraged to take public transit if possible and avoid parking on major streets to make it easier for staff to use snow clearing equipment.
"City crews are on standby, ready to clear roads and sidewalks across the city to keep residents safe," she said.
Crews already applied liquid salt brine to expressways and priority locations like bridges, steep hills and priority intersections to prevent ice from forming, she added. The city says it will start salting as soon as the snow starts to stick to the ground.
The plows will start operating if the snow reaches:
2.5 centimetres on expressways.
Five centimetres on major roads, transit routes and streets with hills.
Eight centimetres on residential streets.
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Sidewalk and separated bike lane clearing will begin when the snow reaches two centimetres.
And after the snow stops, the city says it'll move to snow collection and removal — a rare operation, but one that is warranted when there's simply too much left on sidewalks and roads after a storm.
"Anticipate that this is gonna be a multi day event," said Vince Sferrazza, director of operations and maintenance.
"We ask all our residents please be patient, to please wait until they can submit a request to 311 to bring to our attention any particular issue."
The city will open three warming centres on Friday a 7 p.m., namely Scarborough Civic Centre, Mitchell Field Community Centre and Cecil Community Centre. The city's fourth warming centre, at Metro Hall, is currently open and daytime drop-in programs are available, the city says.
This article was written for the CBC. Thumbnail image: The City of Toronto has some 1,100 pieces of snow clearing equipment in its arsenal. Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie says the city also has new winter contracts across the city that are more flexible, accountable and use upgraded technology for improved levels of service. (Paul Smith/CBC)
