
Toronto entered this cold snap in the worst possible way
The slippery, icy surfaces populating across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) from the recent cold snap are quite treacherous
Much of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) remains an icy mess, making day-to-day life a challenge.
Walking the dog feels like trekking across a glacier, as many side streets, sidewalks, and parks are coated in treacherous ice.
RELATED: Ontario cold snap likely to be Toronto's longest in at least three years

(Max Fuchs on Unsplash)
Where the trouble began
This slippery trouble began on Saturday, Jan. 18, the warmest day of the month so far.
Temperatures climbed to 4°C, accompanied by several hours of rain in the morning. The rainfall partially melted the few centimetres of snow left from earlier in the week, creating a slushy, waterlogged mess.
However, by late-afternoon, the situation took a dangerous turn as temperatures dropped below freezing. Side streets transformed into skating rinks, and parking lots and sidewalks became hazards for anyone venturing out.

The rapid temperature drop—falling sharply below zero within a matter of hours—created the perfect conditions for widespread ice formation. The dew point and temperature hovered close to each other, leaving humidity in the air, so it wasn't enough to facilitate evaporation. Instead, that moisture contributed to a thick glaze of ice, locking in the slush before it could completely melt.
Why the ice won’t budge
The timing of the freeze made matters worse. The high of 4°C on Jan. 18 wasn’t sustained long enough to allow a full melt. By 3 p.m., the temperature had already fallen below freezing, turning any remaining slush into hardened ice. Since then, Toronto has been stuck in sub-zero conditions, with daytime highs struggling to crack the freezing mark.
Compacted ice has now settled in across the GTA, making even the shortest outings feel risky. Without any significant thawing in sight, this ice is here to stay—for now.
When can we expect a thaw?

Unfortunately, there’s no meaningful thaw forecast for the remainder of January. While temperatures may nudge close to freezing a couple of times before the end of the month, they won’t stay warm long enough to make a real dent in the icy conditions. This freeze-thaw cycle might even make matters worse.
For icy relief, residents will need to wait until February, when more substantial warm-ups are expected. Until then, the best advice is to take caution on icy surfaces and keep your winter boots—and salt—close at hand.