The end to Toronto's snowy winter may be closer than you think
Toronto may be on the final leg of its 'snow'athon.
Only a couple of centimetres of snow were recorded at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Saturday morning, signalling that we may be nearing the end of our snowy winter coverage for the 2025/26 season.
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has had an exceptional winter, with 45 days in a row of snow cover on the ground. The snow, which has stuck around since Jan. 15, protected by relentless cold, peaked at 56 cm on Jan. 26 after a record snowstorm buried Toronto.
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Since then, however, a combination of milder temperatures and rain has gradually melted the snow away, with only a few more snowfalls to top off what was lost.
As the end of this current snow cover streak nears, let's take a look at how it compares to previous years.
At 45 days as of Feb. 28, this is actually the longest snow cover streak the GTA has seen in over ten years!
Last winter, Toronto saw 42 days of consecutive snow cover, coming just shy of the 43-day record set in the 2014/15 winter season.
The record, however, is still held firmly by the 2013/14 season, when snow stayed on the ground from Dec. 9, 2013, to March 20, 2014--that's 102 days! And yes, that was over ten years ago!
From one extreme to another
The GTA has also been no stranger to mild winters, where little snow coated the ground all season.
During the 2015/16 winter season, the GTA only reported seven consecutive days of snow cover on the ground.
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The 2011/12 season had even less snow, reporting a measly four consecutive snow covered days.
When will this season's snow be all gone?
Southern Ontario is forecast to see some modest, widespread snowfall through the weekend, as well as a bitter Arctic cold front that will send temperatures plunging back into mid-winter values. This will give us at least another six or seven days of guaranteed snow cover throughout the GTA, bringing the projected snow streak to over 50 days.
By the end of next week, however, we may once again see multiple days of above-freezing temperatures, which will eat away at the remaining snowpack across the GTA.
The GTA is a large region, and the snow cover isn't uniform; shadier areas will see cooler daytime temperatures, less rain, and less melting. Since the Pearson airport is where snow cover measurement come from, though, once the snow is gone there, the streak will be over.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information and updates on your weather across Ontario and the GTA.