MENA Newswire, TORONTO: Toronto mounted a major cleanup on Monday after a winter storm delivered the largest single day snowfall recorded in the city, burying neighbourhood streets, disrupting transit and forcing widespread flight cancellations as crews worked to restore normal operations across the region.
Environment Canada’s preliminary weather summary estimated 56 centimetres of snow at Toronto City Centre on Sunday, topping the city’s previous one day record of 48.3 centimetres. The agency reported 46 centimetres at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the snowiest day on record for that site, and said January 2026 had reached 88.2 centimetres at Pearson, the highest monthly total there since records began in 1937.
The snow left high banks along many roads, narrowing lanes and reducing visibility at intersections. Police urged motorists to limit travel and use extra caution, citing hazardous conditions and difficult driving through deep snow and drifting. Police reported more than 430 collisions across the city, and said at least one crash was fatal.
Air travel was heavily affected as airlines and airport crews cleared runways, taxiways and gates. More than 500 flights were cancelled at Pearson during the storm and its immediate aftermath, with additional delays as carriers reset aircraft and crew schedules. Travellers were advised to check flight status and allow extra time for access roads and terminal congestion.
Toronto activated its Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event response, deploying plows and heavy equipment to prioritize expressways, main roads, transit routes and emergency corridors before moving deeper into residential streets. City officials said the volume of snow meant it would take several days to fully clear local roads and many sidewalks, even as crews worked around the clock in multiple shifts.
Major Snowstorm Condition measures
Under the Major Snowstorm Condition, parking on designated snow routes was prohibited, including roads with streetcar tracks, to keep lanes clear for plowing and snow removal. The city said vehicles parked on snow routes could be ticketed, towed at the owner’s expense and fined up to $500 if they block transit or snow clearing operations, and urged residents to watch signage and move vehicles when required.
Public transit operations faced ongoing challenges as crews cleared streetcar tracks, stops and switches. Some routes saw delays and service changes as vehicles navigated narrowed streets and obstructed turns, while snow accumulation and drifting complicated access to stations, sidewalks and bus stops. School boards across Toronto and parts of the Greater Toronto Area closed schools on Monday, citing unsafe travel conditions.
Service restoration and street by street cleanup
Environment Canada’s storm summary listed significant totals beyond the city core, including 43 centimetres in Trenton and 37 centimetres at the Ontario Storm Prediction Centre in Downsview, underscoring the broad footprint of the system across southern Ontario. Toronto encouraged residents to use official updates, including the PlowTO tracker, to follow plow progress and to clear catch basins and hydrants where possible to reduce localized flooding as conditions change.
City officials said the next phase of operations would focus on widening lanes, addressing problem intersections and removing snow from key corridors where banks restrict traffic flow and block sightlines. Emergency services repeated safety reminders for drivers and pedestrians, warning that visibility around snowbanks can be limited and that residents should give plows and salt trucks space as the cleanup continues.