Record-breaking snowfall blankets Toronto, shattering decades-old records

Toronto residents woke up on Monday, November 11, to a winter-like landscape that was unseasonal following a major snowstorm that had shattered two weather records that had been long held about early November.

The city was hit with 9.8 centimeters of snow on Sunday, November 9 and more snow followed overnight.

As reported by Environment Canada, this was the heaviest November 9 in 54 years, breaking the record of 1.5 centimeters in 1971.

Moreover, the total amount of snow in the two days of the storm is the most significant amount of snow that Toronto had experienced at the beginning of the season since October 1981.

“A very rare event for this much snow to fall this early in the Toronto area,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson.

He explained that it is not unheard of that there was light snow earlier on in November but the quantity of snow on this particular date was the first to be experienced in Pearson International Airport, the city weather station.

The disruptive storm was experienced throughout the area with Hamilton getting 17 cm and Ottawa getting 12 cm.

Ontario Provincial Police is reported to have attended to more than 200 crashes all over the Greater Toronto Area due to the slick conditions.

The City of Toronto responded by sending out salt brine and salting activities on priority routes.

Although early in the week or early in the season the temperatures will not be able to rise beyond the seasonal average of 8°C, the early sign of winter will actually be relieved by the middle of the week, and temperatures will revert to a more moderate range on Wednesday, November 12.