Major blizzard slamming Greater Toronto Area, with up to 60 cm of snow expected

Greater Toronto Area residents are being urged to limit travel as a major blizzard continues to slam the area, forcing road closures and a delay to in-person learning for students on Monday.

By the end of the day, the city and surrounding areas could get as much as 60 centimetres of snow, according to Environment Canada.

For several hours this morning, Environment Canada upgraded its winter storm warning to a blizzard warning, before snowfall started to taper off around noon and the warning was downgraded.

The weather agency said the storm could cause serious problems in dense urban areas.

It warned of hazardous conditions with heavy snow and strong winds resulting in "widespread near-zero visibility."

A CBC Toronto reporter out on the ground reported shortly after 6 a.m. that the snow's falling so fast that as soon as work crews clear it, it starts accumulating again.

Gusting winds of up to 60 km/h combined with hourly snowfall of between eight and 10 centimetres during the morning could produce treacherous conditions for drivers and other commuters, Environment Canada cautioned.

[link to www.cbc.ca (secure)]