Residents of Aurora are facing a cold, wintry start to the day as a surge of Arctic air moves through southern Ontario. Environment Canada reported temperatures near -8°C this morning, with northwest winds and wind chill values reaching -16°C.
While the region saw a previous warning for 4 to 10 centimetres of snowfall, flurries are expected to taper off by this afternoon. Local blowing snow remains a concern throughout the morning as winds reach speeds of 40 km/h with gusts up to 60 km/h. Conditions are expected to clear later today, though the high temperature is only forecast to reach -1°C, which is roughly 10 degrees colder than the typical April high of 9°C.
The Town of Aurora reminds residents that winter maintenance operations remain active until April 15. The town is responsible for clearing 216 kilometres of local roads and 213 kilometres of sidewalks. Under current service standards, primary roads are addressed within 16 hours of 8 centimetres of accumulation, while sidewalks are cleared within 24 hours of 5 centimetres of snow.
To assist with these snow clearing efforts, overnight parking on residential streets continues to be prohibited between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. until the maintenance season concludes in mid-April. Warmer weather is on the horizon, with clear skies expected tonight and a shift toward sunny conditions and a high of 6°C by Wednesday.
