First snow day of the year brings winter fun across the GTHA

Boots and shovels were hitting the ground today as our region saw the first snow day of the year.

Overnight a snowstorm covered us in a blanket of the white stuff and temperatures dropped, closing schools, slowing traffic – and for some, creating some classic winter fun.

Lots of kids were out having fun in the snow today due to many schools being closed.

Whether you’re sledding or trying to pelt your sibling in a snowball fight, a snow day is a kid’s dream.

For some it’s a brand new experience.

“From Spain, Madrid. It’s very weird because I’m not used to it, but I like it,” said one young girl from Madrid.

And kids aren’t the only ones having some fun.

“It’s the number one place to cross country ski right now, in the country,” said one woman cross country skiing down a city street.

READ MORE: What’s closed Jan. 15 amid major winter storm in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara

But there’s still work to do because parents need help shoveling.

“It is a neighbourhood party. You know, we had little Locklan out here, he’s two, all the way up to the kids that are in high school now,” said a local dad.

And hopefully you don’t mind the snow because David Phillips, a climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says it’s staying for a while.

“I would dare say that by the end of January we could have a full year’s worth of snow — and we still have February, March and April to go. It’s almost as if it’s going to rival the 10-day January thaw that we had. We’ll now have the 10 day freeze,” said Phillips.

Of course, snowy weather makes the roads quite treacherous. OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says the weather has affected driving all over the GTHA.

“We’re up to about 200 crashes in the last 24 hours, from Niagara all the way up to Barrie in the GTA area,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt says during snowy weather it’s important to take your time and be extra careful on the roads.

He says the most common reason he sees for crashes in the snow is because people are driving too recklessly.

READ MORE: Multi-vehicle collision closes lanes near Centennial Parkway in Hamilton