Canada: Winter storm dumps record snowfall in southern Ontario Feb. 28 /update 1

Event

A winter storm system brought up to 24 cm (9.5 in) of snowfall in the Toronto metropolitan area (Ontario province) as of Thursday morning (local time), February 28, and officials indicate cleanup could take several days. The city of Toronto will increase snow-clearing efforts on Thursday afternoon due to poor road conditions in what authorities are describing as an "all hands on deck" operation. The cities of Hamilton and Burlington (Ontario province) recorded 25 cm (10 in) of snow while Toronto's Pearson International Airport (YYZ), which received 18 cm (7 in) of snow, saw roughly 200 flight cancelations on Wednesday, February 27. Lingering transportation disruptions - including flight delays and cancelations, road closures, hazardous driving conditions, and traffic accidents and congestion - are possible across the area over the coming days.

Advice

Individuals in the affected areas are advised to monitor local weather reports, avoid unnecessary travel, maintain flexible itineraries, and anticipate transportation disruptions (including flight delays and cancelations), as well as power outages and telecommunications disruptions.