TORONTO, February 17, 2026 — The morning commute and getting around for most of tomorrow is expected to be messy and, quite frankly, arduous as a Yellow Alert has been issued, warning of a winter storm preceded by dense fog in several major GTA cities.
The fog will begin Tuesday night and the winter storm is expected to arrive very early Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. All sorts of anticipatory cancellations of less important events have already begun, although it could fall mostly as rain in some areas, depending on the temperature. However, the official warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada states that the following areas can expect a mix of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain (of greatest concern):
City of Toronto; Vaughan – Richmond Hill – Markham; Caledon; Mississauga – Brampton
ECCC is saying we can expect this snow and ice pellet combo to total amounts up to 5 cm. They are also saying the annoying precipitation is expected to last for several hours. Areas west of Toronto are likely to receive some freezing rain, causing a few millimetres of ice buildup. The biggest cause from concern aside from slippery roads and sidewalks, is the potential for ice build-up on power lines that could cause outages.
Additionally, there may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Allow extra time for travel.
Winter Storm Warnings are issued when multiple types of severe winter weather (such as snow, freezing rain, wind and rain) are expected or occurring.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #ONStorm.
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