A freezing rain warning remains in effect for the Toronto area as wintry weather has led to the cancellation of more than 100 flights at Pearson airport.
The freezing rain left streets under a layer of ice this morning and prompted the closure of many schools. It also caused traffic accidents, transit and flight delays, and some power outages outside of Toronto.
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport urged travellers to check flight information with airlines before heading to the airport.
Shabeen Hanifa, spokeswoman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said more than 100 flights scheduled to leave from Pearson were cancelled as of 1 p.m.
“It’s pretty good right now. Safety is the number 1 priority for us and it’s definitely winter operations,” she said.
Hanifa said winter operations means the airport is focused on removing snow from the airfield and clearing ice off aircraft.
Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said driving conditions in Toronto could be tricky for the commute home.
“The best advice is to take it easy out there. The secondary roads could be problematic. There could be some slippery sections in and around the GTA during the evening commute,” he said.
‘Icy, slippery and hazardous’
Coulson said freezing rain in March is not that unusual.
“This is something we can see from time to time,” Coulson said. “We can get these early spring storms that can be quite potent.”
He said the warmer weather earlier in March made this weather event stand out, but it’s not a surprise, given the calendar. He said snow tires would have come in handy this morning.
The freezing rain has delayed many GO buses, while ice on overhead power lines caused some delays on TTC streetcars this morning.
Salting is underway in Toronto on roads and sidewalks, the city said in a tweet. The city said salting of sidewalks should be finished by 5 p.m. ET.
Schools in the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board and the Peel School Board are closed. York University has cancelled classes at its Keele and Glendon campuses, while the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus and Humber, Sheridan and Centennial Colleges are closed.
Environment Canada has warned that surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots could be “icy, slippery and hazardous.”
It said periods of freezing rain are expected to continue until early Thursday evening before changing to rain as temperatures rise.
Before that happens, between five and 10 millimetres of ice accumulation is expected in Toronto.
Earlier this morning, the freezing rain caused major power outages outside the city.
As of 3 p.m., Hydro One crews were responding to 168 incidents affecting 15,271 customers. Toronto Hydro also reported 1,000 to 5,000 customers experiencing an outages as of 3 p.m.
While the freezing rain is expected to lift in the GTA by late this afternoon, the warning is expected to remain in place this evening for much of southern Ontario.
Winter storm watches remain in effect for the Barrie, Ont., area, the Bruce Peninsula, Muskoka and Ottawa.
CBC News
100+ flights cancelled at Toronto Pearson because of freezing rain
