A winter weather alert was issued Monday as the GTA still recovers from the last with this being merely the beginning of freezing heavy snowfall in the days coming.
January has been a cold month in comparison to previous winters, with Monday’s average temperature of -7 C being two degrees colder than what it typically would be.
David Phillips, Senior Climatologist at Environment Canada, told Humber News that people may be thinking we’ve seen the most snow we’re going to get, but that’s not the case.
People may think that “nature all of a sudden will turn off the snow machine. It won’t,” said Phillips.
“You can’t write the obituary on winter,” he said.
Toronto is also witnessing a higher percent of snowfall with nearly 83 cm having fallen already, that’s a 50 per cent increase to the 55 cm average.
When the snow comes to an end, cold winds will follow, Phillips said. Tuesday morning’s temperature could be down to -20 C.
“Winter hasn’t been long, it’s just been that when it arrived, it stayed the course and that seems to have been the problem,” said Phillips.
“People like the weather to change.”
Patience is what Phillips said is currently needed as there is no sign of short-term relief.
“Say two weeks from now, I think we’ll see some melting temperatures, some of that snowpack will disappear but some will come back to refreshment,” said Phillips
He predicts for flurries to end Monday by midnight.
Toronto police are also keeping an eye on the weather – and the roads.
“The roads seem to be in good condition now and traffic seems to be moving more regularly,” said traffic services Toronto Police Constable Sean Shapiro.
Shapiro advised drivers to be vigilant of snowplows on the roads, which continue their clean-up from last week’s weather alert.
Around residential areas particularly, Shapiro said drivers should be cautious of kids sliding down snowbanks and into traffic.
“If you’re out and about, drive for the conditions, don’t drive beyond your ability to see because very often with snow squalls, visibility is reduced. You’re taking a higher risk when you can’t see,” said Shapiro.
“One thing that seems to be forgotten is there are pedestrians and vulnerable road users who are also trying to navigate through snowstorms and people walking. They could slip, they could fall into the roadway,” said Shapiro.