Step outside this morning and you’ll feel it right away. The air bites at your face with that particular February cruelness that tells you winter isn’t done with Toronto yet. The latest on freezing drizzle advisory is drawing significant attention.
Environment Canada has Toronto under a yellow freezing drizzle advisory today, after what the Ontario Provincial Police are calling a brutal 24 hours on GTHA roads.
The numbers tell the story. OPP reported 160 crashes across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area as yesterday’s winter storm turned highways into skating rinks and side streets into obstacle courses. Related: Edmonton MP Matt Jeneroux Crosses Floor to Join Liberals
Roads Turn Treacherous Overnight: Freezing Drizzle Advisory Impact
The freezing drizzle started sometime early this morning. Everything’s coated in that deceptively thin layer of ice that makes walking to your car an adventure and driving a white-knuckle experience.
Thinking about heading out? Think twice. Related: Bedford Man Arrested on Drug, Weapons Charges in Lower Sackville
Road conditions haven’t improved much since the storm rolled through. OPP officers spent most of yesterday responding to fender-benders, slide-offs, and multi-vehicle crashes from Mississauga to Durham Region. The 400-series highways saw the worst of it, with emergency crews working overtime to clear accidents and keep traffic moving.
- Yellow freezing drizzle advisory in effect for Toronto
- 160 crashes reported across GTHA
- Road surfaces remain icy and dangerous
- OPP urging extreme caution for drivers
Winter Refuses to Loosen Its Grip
Just when you thought maybe, possibly, spring might be thinking about showing up, February delivers this reminder that Canadian winters don’t follow anyone’s schedule but their own. Related: Canada’s Housing Market Hits Economic Brick Wall
The freezing drizzle advisory means exactly what it sounds like. That light precipitation you see falling? It’s freezing on contact with roads, sidewalks, and pretty much every surface it touches.
Walking becomes treacherous. Driving becomes downright dangerous.
Honestly, if you don’t absolutely need to be somewhere, today might be a good day to work from home. The coffee shops and grocery stores will still be there tomorrow when the roads aren’t trying to kill you.
Emergency Crews Working Overtime
The 160 crashes OPP reported aren’t just numbers on a police blotter. Each one represents someone’s day gone sideways, literally in many cases.
Most were minor fender-benders, the kind where you tap someone’s bumper at a red light because stopping on ice requires more distance than you remembered. But some were more serious multi-vehicle pile-ups on highways where speed and ice don’t mix well.
Emergency crews have been stretched thin. Fire departments, paramedics, and police officers have been bouncing from call to call since yesterday afternoon.
Salt trucks are out in force, but they’re fighting an uphill battle against Mother Nature’s latest mood swing.
What This Means for Your Commute
Public transit is running, but expect delays. The TTC always gets cautious when ice starts forming, and for good reason.
If you’re driving, leave extra time. Like, a lot of extra time. The kind of extra time that makes you question whether that meeting was really worth attending in person.
Keep your phone charged. Have a winter emergency kit in your car. And remember that four-wheel drive helps you go, but it doesn’t help you stop any better on ice.
Safety Tips for Today
The usual winter driving advice applies, but it’s worth repeating because ice makes fools of even experienced drivers.
Slow down. Way down.
That speed limit sign assumes normal road conditions, not the ice rink currently masquerading as Highway 401. Increase following distance. If you normally leave three seconds between you and the car ahead, make it six or more today.
No sudden moves. Gentle acceleration, gentle braking, gentle steering. Pretend you’re driving with a full cup of coffee balanced on your dashboard.
Looking Ahead
The freezing drizzle advisory is expected to lift later today, but road conditions will likely remain sketchy well into the evening as temperatures hover right around the freezing mark.
Tomorrow’s forecast looks slightly better, but we’re still talking about February in Toronto. Don’t pack away the winter boots just yet.
The reality is, this is exactly the kind of weather that catches people off guard. We’ve had a few milder days recently, and suddenly everyone forgets how to drive in winter conditions.
OPP Sergeant Kerry Schmidt, who’s become the unofficial voice of highway safety in the GTHA, has been reminding drivers all morning that no appointment is worth risking your safety.
“We’ve seen 160 crashes in just 24 hours,” Schmidt said during a morning briefing. “That should tell you everything you need to know about current road conditions.”
