Winter travel advisory in effect for Toronto as 17 vehicles involved in collisions on Hwy. 401 ramp

Toronto's first full day of spring will be marked by periods of heavy flurries and near zero visibility and is already causing problems on some of the city’s major roadways.

Toronto’s first full day of spring will be marked by periods of heavy flurries and near zero visibility and is already causing problems on some of the city’s major roadways.

Environment Canada issued a winter travel advisory Wednesday morning ahead of what the agency described as brief, heavy snowfall starting this afternoon.

The snow itself won’t stick around for long and accumulations aren’t expected to exceed four centimetres, but a cold front moving south through the area could make for a difficult evening commute.

“A narrow band of heavy flurries combined with gusty northwest winds associated with the front will lead to a relatively short but sudden drop in visibility,” the national weather agency said in the advisory.

Officials say travel may be hazardous due to the “sudden” changes in weather and “near zero” visibility.

Ontario Provincial Police were called to a multi-vehicle crash on a major Toronto highway earlier this morning following a burst of blowing snow. In a video posted to X, Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said officers responded to several separate collisions on the westbound Eglinton Avenue ramp to Highway 401 with a total of 17 vehicles involved.

Several people were transported to hospital, he said. The extent of their injuries was not disclosed.