snow record toronto february

Toronto's huge dump of snow just broke an all-time snowfall record

In case you haven't set foot outside since Wednesday evening, or perhaps live in a windowless cave, Toronto was blasted with over 15 centimetres of snow in a mid-week winter storm.

But it was out at Toronto Pearson International Airport where an astounding 17.4 centimetres of the white stuff descended, causing chaos on the tarmac, and absolutely shattering a longstanding snowfall record in the process.

Yesterday's snowfall managed to break the all-time record for any Feb. 22 since record-keeping began all the way back in 1938.

And it wasn't even close, with the previous record set in 1947 when a comparatively light dusting of just 11.4 centimetres descended on what was then known as Malton Airport.

To put this record into perspective, there has not been a Feb. 22 recorded with this much snow in at least 85 years, and perhaps much longer. When record-keeping began at what is now Pearson Airport, the first jet aircraft was still a year away from production, and the first moon landing was 21 years away.

At no point during this innovative period in aeronautical history has Canada's busiest airport seen this much snow on this calendar day.

Though snowfall has since tapered off and airport operations are recovering the day after the storm, there is still more nasty weather in store as Environment Canada issued a freezing drizzle advisory for the City of Toronto just before 3 p.m., and there could be even more inclement weather inbound next week.

Lead photo by

Alex Meoko


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