Snow, rain make for messy commute in the GTA

Toronto. Drivers in Toronto and the GTA woke up to a messy commute Monday as the area saw the first significant snowfall of the season.
About five centimetres of snow fell in York, Durham and Peel regions Monday morning, blanketing cars trees and walkways. Some parts of Toronto also saw about 5 centimetres accumulation.
The wet snow meant slippery conditions for commuters. A number of collisions were reported on highways around the city, causing longer delays for drivers.
A fender-bender is pictured on the Gardiner Expressway in this view-submitted photo Monday November 17, 2014. (@djizzymatix /Twitter)
The westbound lanes of Highway 401 were shut down between Guelph Line and Highway 6 South for about four hours during the morning commute due to a number of collisions involving transport trucks.
No serious injuries were reported.
In Toronto, city officials confirmed crews were out early salting the roadways.
“We do have all of our fleet out this morning. We began salting sometime after midnight. We completed a couple of rounds of salt and we will continue to do so as required,” said Hector Moreno, the city’s manager of road operations.
But with temperatures hovering around 0 C, not all areas of the city are seeing as much of the white stuff. Roads in Toronto’s downtown core remained mostly clear.
“A lot of snow on the trees and on the cars, but in downtown Toronto, (it’s) a different story,” CP24 Weather Specialist Jill Colton said. “The ground is warm so that’s why we’re not really keeping a lot of the snow that we saw earlier today.”
Colton said that if temperatures stick around 1 C, the precipitation will likely continue to come down as rain downtown.
However other areas are not as lucky.
Snow squall watches are in effect for a number of areas outside the GTA as a low pressure system moves across Lakes Erie and Ontario. They include Barrie, Algonquin, Niagara and Kingston.
With similar temperatures forecast for the rest of the week, Monday’s weather could be a precursor for what’s to come.
Highs of around 0 or 1 C are predicted through Friday with lows ranging from -3 C to -7 C.
There’s a 40 per cent chance of flurries for Monday night. There’s also a 30 per cent chance of flurries on Tuesday and periods of snow predicted for Wednesday.
That’s a far cry from the balmy weather the GTA enjoyed this day last year when Toronto hit 16.6 C.
It may also be a sign we’re in for a winter that will feel a little longer than it is. The season doesn’t officially begin until Dec. 21.