The wintry weather on Sunday brought a series of vehicle collisions and congestion on the transit routes in Toronto and GTA.
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the service has seen a “spike” in accidents in the area as a result of ice and snow.
“If you’re going to hit the road today, make sure you have your entire headlight system on. Make sure your vehicle is free of ice and snow. If you can avoid driving until the snow is gone and the snowplows have cleared the roads of ice and snow, it will help everyone and keep traffic moving,” he said in a video posted on Twitter.
A head-on collision on the 401 Freeway in Toronto near Bayview Avenue that left two drivers dead Sunday morning caused the exit collector lanes to be closed for several hours.
Schmidt said a vehicle was traveling west in the eastbound lanes before the collision, though an investigation has yet to determine whether weather and visibility contributed to the crash.
Since then, the lanes have been reopened.
This image shows the scene of a fatal head-on collision on Highway 401 in Toronto on Dec. 11, 2022. (Twitter/OPP Highway Safety Division)
In Scarborough, a person was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following a collision in the area of Sheppard Avenue East and Kennedy Road just before 6 p.m.
Police said they responded to reports of a two-vehicle collision near the intersection.
An hour later, police were called to the intersection of Finch Avenue East and Brimley Road on reports of a two-vehicle collision.
Paramedics say they transported four people to the hospital, all with minor injuries.
Brimley Road is closed at Finch Avenue East while police investigate the collision. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes.
Elsewhere, in Mississauga, police said a driver was rushed to a trauma center with serious injuries after crashing into a telephone pole. In that case, Peel Regional Police said the accident was most likely weather related.
In an update posted Sunday afternoon, the city of Toronto said salting of freeways and main roads is currently underway, as well as salting of local roads in Scarborough and North York.
Meanwhile, Toronto police, in a tweet, advised drivers to be more careful about winter weather and road conditions.
Transit users should also be aware that several TTC bus routes have been affected by the weather, including the 929 Dufferin Express, which is diverted south via Eglinton Avenue West, Lansdowne Avenue and Davenport Road.
The 33 Forest Hill bus is experiencing significant delays near St. Clair West station, while the 14 Glencairn route now runs on Bathurst Street, Shallmar Boulevard, Mayfair Avenue, Eglinton Avenue West and Chaplin Crescent.
77 Swansea is also being rerouted via Bloor Street West and Windermere Avenue and 55 Warren Park is running on Dundas Street West, Scarlett Road, St. Clair Avenue West and Jane Street due to weather conditions.
The collisions are also affecting service, the TTC posted on its Twitter service alerts feed.
Several GO Transit bus routes have also been affected by the snow. Delays are to be expected.
Just before 3 a.m. Sunday, Environment Canada issued winter travel advisories for several regions in the Greater Toronto Area, including the Halton and York regions.
Weather advisories advise the public to expect heavy snowfall of up to 10 centimeters, reduced visibility in the event of heavy snowfall, and the possibility of freezing drizzle.
Caledon along with Newmarket, Georgina, Pickering, Oshawa, Uxbridge, Beaverton, Vaughan and Richmond Hill are all included in the statements, which suggest that at times the heavy snow ended early Sunday night.
Some of the other affected areas include Barrie, Collingwood, Midland, Orillia, Belleville, Cobourg, Orangeville, Innisfil, Shelburne, Hanover, Owen Sound, Blue Mountain, Kingston, Napanee, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Peterborough, and Kawartha Lakes.
This wintry weather stems from a low pressure system that will move through the area today, the national weather agency said.
“Snow, at times heavy, will continue to increase in coverage through the morning and become flurry this afternoon,” Environment Canada said.
The weather agency urges people to take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas and to slow down when driving in slippery conditions.
“Watch for taillights ahead and maintain a safe following distance. Visibility can be suddenly reduced at times in case of heavy snowfall,” she noted.
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, sidewalks, and parking lots can become icy and slippery.”