What to know about the winter storm affecting the Hamilton area:
Schools in Halton, Hamilton and Niagara are closed Monday.Orange snowfall warnings issued for Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara Region.Yellow warning issued for Brantford.Hamilton declared significant weather event effective 12 p.m. Sunday.Several City of Hamilton facilities have been closed.HSR operating usual schedule, but service may be slow.DARTS has ceased operations.McMaster University cancels program, events for Sunday.People advised to check flight status before heading to Hamilton airport.City facilities closed in St. Catharines.Winter parking ban takes effect at 6 p.m. in St. Catharines.
Public and Catholic schools in Hamilton will be closed Monday, both school boards announced Sunday, after the city was hit with significant snowfall throughout the day.
Halton District School Board, which includes schools in Burlington where up to 40 cm of snow was expected, and the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) also announced their buildings would be closed Monday. Catholic schools in Halton and Niagara will also be closed.
“Due to significant snowfall across all areas of Niagara with high winds and additional snowfall forecast to continue through the night into tomorrow’s school day, for all municipalities in Niagara, all schools and offices are closed Monday,” DSBN said on its website.
“Forecasted blowing and falling snow, as well as very cold temperatures and wind chill values will create conditions making it difficult for buses to operate safely and will pose challenges for students walking to school.”
French school board Conseil scolaire Viamonde said its schools in Halton, Hamilton and Niagara would also be closed.
Most school boards said any exams scheduled for secondary school students would be postponed by one day.
‘Stay indoors, off the roads,’ says mayor
The major winter storm began hitting many parts of Ontario Sunday morning. In Hamilton, up to 35 centimetres of snow was expected and will be continuing overnight, according to Environment Canada.
The federal weather agency issued orange warnings for snowfall for Hamilton, Burlington and Niagara Region, and a yellow snowfall warning for Brantford.
Orange is the second-most serious of Environment Canada’s three colour-coded warnings before red and after yellow, the least serious.
Earlier in the day, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwarth encouraged people to avoid unnecessary travel and to take care of one another as the city declared a significant weather event effective 12 p.m. Sunday.
“Hamiltonians — the winter storm has arrived — please stay safe,” Howarth wrote in a post on X.
“If you can, stay indoors, off the roads, and check in on loved ones and neighbours.”
Horwath said road crews, police, firefighters and paramedics “are out there doing their utmost to get us through these difficult conditions.”
City facilities closed
In a post on X, the City of Hamilton said all city facilities including arenas, community centres and Gage Park Greenhouse closed at noon Sunday.
All museums are closed, according to the city. The emergency warming centre at Bennetto Community Centre will remain open.
A person is seen walking a dog along Cannon Street E. in Hamilton on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (Eva Salinas/CBC)
The city said Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) will be operating on its usual schedule, but service may be slow due to the weather conditions. Customers can check for their next bus using the real-time trip planners.
Meanwhile, HSR says the Disabled and Aged Regional Transit System (DARTS) is ceasing operations effective immediately due to inclement weather conditions and increasing snow accumulation in the forecast.
McMaster University cancels programs, events
McMaster University has announced its closure for the remainder of Sunday due to the significant snowfall affecting Hamilton and the region.
“All programs and events scheduled for Sunday afternoon — in-person and remote — are cancelled, except for clinical placements in health professional programs, which will operate at the direction of the education program,” the university announced on its website.
“Students are encouraged to communicate with their clinical supervisor.”
McMaster University says it will update the community at 5:30 a.m. if it will close on Monday. (Georgia Kirkos)
The university said all McMaster facilities that are currently open will be closed. All eateries are closed except for those in residence. Anything not defined as essential is also closed, including activities scheduled to happen remotely.
The university said it will update the community at 5:30 a.m. Monday about any further closures.
With the heavy snow today, Hamilton International Airport is advising travellers and those picking up people from the airport to check their airline flight status and updates before heading to the airport.
“Allow extra time on the roads to get here safely,” the airport said on X.
Burlington expecting up to 40 cm of snow
Samantha Mauti, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Burlington will get the most of the snow that’s due to hit the area, followed by Hamilton and Niagara Region.
“We’re expecting 20 to 40 centimetres [of snow in Burlington,] with blowing snow and wind gusts of 50 km/h,” Mauti told CBC Hamilton.
Hamilton and Niagara can expect 20-35 centimetres of snow, while Brantford could see 10-20 centimetres, Mauti said.
Orange is the second most serious of Environment Canada’s three colour-coded warnings after red, and before yellow — the least serious warning. (Environment and Climate Change Canada)
Mauti said the snowfall is expected to be heavy at times throughout the rest of the day and into the evening.
“We’re expecting that intensity to ease late this evening and into the overnight,” she said, adding that light snow is expected to continue into Monday morning.
Mauti said the storm is the result of a low-pressure system coming up from the United States, with southern Ontario at its northern edge.
City of Hamilton’s snow clearing update
In its significant weather event declaration, the City of Hamilton has provided the following update on snow clearing:
Transportation crews will focus on all Priority 1 and 2 roads and will continue to respond to escarpments, parkways and main roads once snowfall begins.The extremely cold temperatures mean salting will not be as effective, so crews will be using a salt and sand mix.Snow storage in urban areas will be impacted due to the accumulation, with snow removal operations to follow.The city has activated its full complement of equipment for plowing and salting. The city’s plow tracker is a useful tool for tracking where maintenance vehicles have been in the last two, four, 12 and 24 hours.The City of Hamilton’s Snow and Ice Bylaw No. 03-296 requires property owners and/or occupants to clear snow and ice within 24 hours of the end of a snow event from the sidewalks adjacent to their property, as well as roofs that overhang the city sidewalk. In the case of a significant weather event declaration, property owners and/or occupants have 24 hours after it’s declared over to clear their property.City facilities closed in St. Catharines
The City of St. Catharines announced Sunday afternoon that it has closed its facilities and programming for the remainder of the day.
The city also announced that a winter parking ban will come into effect at 6 p.m.
The following city programs and facilities are impacted, and all recreation programs, as well as private bookings and rentals for Sunday, have been cancelled as of 1 p.m.:
St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre.St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.Dunlop Drive Older Adult Centre.Russell Avenue Community Centre.Port Weller Community Centre.Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre.Bill Burgoyne Arena.Merritton Arena.
When the parking ban takes effect, the restrictions prohibit on-street parking in most neighbourhoods.
The city says in a news release that this is to ensure roads are clear for plows, emergency vehicles, and public transit.
“While local weather and road conditions determine how long the restrictions remain in place, residents should plan to keep their vehicles off the street for at least 72 hours,” the city said.
Residents must move their vehicles off the street to avoid fines and towing, the city said. Those who fail to comply may be subject to a $40 ticket and towing at their expense.
Some areas in the city are exempt due to limited off-street parking, including sections of downtown, Merritton and Port Dalhousie.