Heavy snow in southern Ontario and Quebec shutters schools, snarls commutes

Heavy snow hammered much of southern Ontario and parts of Quebec on Thursday, shuttering schools and causing commuter chaos throughout the day.

Environment Canada said some parts of Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area, could see up to 40 centimetres of snow by Thursday evening, even as snowfall warnings for Toronto, Hamilton and Kitchener were lifted by the late afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the weather agency had issued orange alerts – reserved for weather that’s likely to cause significant disruption or damage – in several regions.

Toronto, York, Peel and Halton Region schools closed Thursday morning, and post-secondary schools including the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and York University announced their campuses were closed.

Environment Canada said the Ottawa area would also see up to 35 centimetres of snow, tapering off Thursday evening. It added that northerly wind gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour would result in blowing snow and reduced visibility, and a sharp temperature drop would cause very cold wind chills.

Provincial police advised residents to stay off the roads if possible, as approximately 200 collisions and 125 vehicles stuck in snowbanks or the ditch were reported in the Toronto and Hamilton areas by noon on Thursday.

Police said there were multiple road closures across southern Ontario, including parts of Highway 401 in eastern Ontario. Parts of Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway were also temporarily closed due to several minor collisions and black ice.

The snowstorm also caused numerous transit delays that were exacerbated by a collision involving a train and a snowplow in Toronto’s east end.

Via Rail confirmed that a train travelling between Toronto and Ottawa with 205 passengers onboard was involved in a collision at around 1:40 p.m., but said no one was injured.

Commuter Jonathan Jackson was among those in Toronto braving the snowfall Thursday.

“I think I only went about two or three blocks, but it was awful,” he said. “I was walking in the streets by accident, thinking it was the sidewalk.”

Meanwhile, resident Darin Schmidt said “it’s about time” Toronto had some snow.

“As far as being in it, I got no problem,” Schmidt said. “I’m an outdoor weather guy anyways. I played in the snow as a kid all the time.”

Both Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow cancelled public events Thursday due to the inclement weather.

Chow said 1,300 city staff and contractors were working to clear snow, with another 100 to be deployed in priority areas.

She said that all city services are now centrally co-ordinated through its emergency operations centre, which she called an improvement from the city’s past management of winter storms.

“This co-ordination, this collaboration means that we’re getting the right information out quickly, clearing roads and sidewalks efficiently and keeping essential services running,” said Chow at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

She added there were five warming centres open in the city, with two more opening Thursday night.

At Toronto’s Pearson airport, officials said air traffic management procedures were in place due to the weather. The airport’s website showed that most departing and arriving flights were delayed or cancelled Thursday.

Travellers were advised to check their flight status before coming to the airport, where snow clearing operations were underway.

Snow and difficult travel conditions also forced the Ontario Hockey League to postpone Thursday’s regular-season game between the Guelph Storm and the host Niagara IceDogs, with a rescheduled date yet to be announced.

Meanwhile in Quebec, a snowfall warning was in effect for the Montreal area, with 10 to 15 centimetres of snow expected by Thursday night.

The winter storm played havoc with the city’s light-rail network during the rush hour Thursday morning as the Deux-Montagnes branch of the service, known as the REM, was shut down for much of the morning due to inclement weather. It resumed operation after 9:30 a.m. Authorities attributed the shutdown of the rail line serving suburbs north of Montreal to a buildup of ice on the lines that power the network.

Police services and Quebec’s Transport Department also reported numerous accidents in the Greater Montreal Area.

Environment Canada is advising residents to monitor alerts and forecasts and allow extra time to travel in areas affected by the snowfall in Ontario and Quebec.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2026.

— With files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal and Sandra Ezekwesili in Toronto.

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press