Toronto GTA Winter Storm: Records, Warnings & Updates

Toronto just lived through its snowiest month in nearly 90 years of record-keeping, and if you felt like the city barely kept up, you’re not imagining it. A single lake-effect storm on January 25, 2026 dumped 46 centimetres at Pearson Airport in one day—shattering a record that had stood since 1966—while downtown neighbourhoods got hit even harder. This article tracks the numbers that matter, the warnings that were issued, and what the city’s history with major snowstorms tells us about the challenges ahead.

Record snowfall from Winter Storm Fern: 61 cm (downtown) · Snow on January 25, 2026: Toronto’s snowiest day · Great Snowstorm: 1944 · Crashes from February storm: 160 in GTHA

The following table consolidates the key snowfall measurements and storm impacts from the 2025-2026 winter season.

Did Toronto get 60 cm of snow?

Winter Storm Fern details

The January 25, 2026 snowstorm delivered a staggering blow to the GTA. Pearson Airport recorded 46 centimetres in a single day, breaking the previous single-day record of 36.8 cm that had stood since January 23, 1966 (My Toronto). Downtown Toronto fared even worse, with accumulations reaching up to 61 cm in some neighbourhoods (My Toronto). Environment Canada confirmed the storm was driven by lake-effect conditions, delivering non-stop snow for over 24 hours.

Impacts on GTA

The scale of the storm triggered cascading disruptions across the region. At least 10,000 flights in the United States were cancelled as the same system moved eastward (Global National). Pearson Airport saw flights operating at roughly half capacity for days afterward, with delays and cancellations persisting as crews worked to clear runways. The TTC urged patience as bus and streetcar service fell behind schedule, leaving commuters facing longer wait times during the morning rush (YouTube – Toronto News).

How much snow did Toronto get on January 25, 2026?

Snowiest day record

January 25, 2026 now holds the title of Toronto’s snowiest day since official records began at Pearson Airport in 1937 (My Toronto). The 46 cm that fell at the airport eclipsed the previous mark of 36.8 cm by a significant margin. The storm claimed at least 20 lives and left nearly 1 million people without power across Eastern Canada (Global National). Public schools in Toronto remained closed the following day, with recovery efforts expected to take at least a week.

Regional accumulation

Not every part of the GTA saw the same amounts. Northern York and Durham regions recorded 10-15 cm during the February 18, 2026 storm, outpacing Toronto’s totals for that event (CityNews Toronto). The March 13, 2026 system brought snowfall rates of up to 5 cm per hour over some GTA locations, with wind gusts briefly peaking near 70 km/h in Toronto proper (CityNews Toronto).

When was the biggest snow storm in Toronto?

Great Snowstorm of 1944

The benchmark for Toronto snowstorms has long been the Great Snowstorm of 1944, which buried the city under a historic accumulation that older Torontonians still reference when complaining about winters past. The January 25, 2026 snowstorm is now widely recognised as the most snow the city has faced since that 1944 event (Global National), making it not just significant by modern standards but by any standard in the city’s weather memory.

Historical records

Pearson Airport’s official snowfall records began in 1937, providing a consistent baseline for comparison (My Toronto). Before the January 2026 records fell, the previous single-day high of 36.8 cm had endured for 60 years. The snowiest month record had similarly stood since 1951. The 2025-2026 season shattered both benchmarks within weeks of each other.

Why doesn’t Toronto remove snow?

City cleanup challenges

After the January 25 storm, Toronto’s snow removal crews faced an uphill battle against an unprecedented volume. The city deployed resources across major arterials first, leaving residential streets visibly behind. This tiered approach— prioritising highways and transit corridors— drew criticism from residents in outer neighbourhoods who felt abandoned, but city officials defended the strategy as necessary to keep the broader transit network functioning.

Mayor statements

Mayor Olivia Chow acknowledged the scale of the cleanup challenge, noting in public comments that the city’s response had improved compared to previous major storms but conceding that more infrastructure investment was needed to keep pace with increasingly extreme winter weather events.

Is there a snow storm in Toronto, Canada?

Current warnings

Environment and Climate Change Canada has maintained an active warning posture throughout the 2025-2026 winter season. Yellow and orange winter storm warnings have been issued repeatedly for the GTA, with the most recent system on March 13, 2026 prompting a snowfall warning for eastern areas with up to 15 cm expected. Wind gusts of up to 110 km/h were forecast for Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Grimsby, and northern Niagara Region during that system (CityNews Toronto).

Recent advisories

Freezing drizzle advisories have added to driving hazards throughout the season. On February 18, 2026, Toronto Pearson reported 5 cm of snow and ice pellet accumulation with up to 10 cm forecast by evening (CityNews Toronto). The storm triggered widespread school bus cancellations across Toronto and the GTHA that morning, and easterly winds gusting up to 60 km/h created hazardous conditions across the region.

The pattern is becoming harder to dismiss: each major storm since 2022 has exposed gaps in Toronto’s snow removal infrastructure that the city struggles to close before the next event arrives. For commuters who sat through the January 25 gridlock or dealt with days of icy side streets, the recurring disruption is less a weather story than a municipal one. The question facing city planners is not whether another major storm will hit—it is whether the city’s response can close the gap before it does.