First winter in Ontario: a newcomer’s guide
Last checked 2026-10-14
Winters in the GTA are usually cold, grey and slushy with stretches of snow and ice, and colder snaps that can be dangerous without the right clothing. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. Here is what newcomers most often wish they had known, with official links for the rules.
Clothing: layers, not one huge coat
- Layer: a base layer (thermal top/leggings), a warm middle layer (fleece or wool sweater), and a windproof, waterproof outer jacket. Add a hat that covers your ears, a scarf or neck warmer, and insulated, waterproof mittens or gloves.
- Boots matter most: look for waterproof, insulated winter boots with deep-treaded rubber soles for grip on ice. Slip-on ice cleats help on icy sidewalks.
- Kids: most schools expect children to go outside at recess, so younger kids usually need a one-piece snowsuit or snow pants and jacket, boots, mittens (bring a spare pair) and a hat. Label everything.
- Buying cheaply: secondhand stores such as Value Village and local thrift shops, discount retailers such as Winners, Walmart and Canadian Tire, end-of-season sales (late winter), and local buy-and-sell groups. Kids outgrow snowsuits quickly, so used is often fine.
- Free winter clothing: ask your settlement agency — many know about coat drives and free clothing banks run by community groups, churches, mosques, temples and schools each fall.
Winter driving
- Winter tires: they are not mandatory for passenger vehicles in Ontario, but strongly recommended. Ontario says winter tires shorten braking distances by as much as 25% compared with all-season tires, and all-seasons can start to lose grip at 7 °C. Look for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol and install four, not two. (ontario.ca)
- Insurance discount: all Ontario auto insurers must offer a discount for winter tires — ask yours how to qualify (installation dates and proof vary by insurer). (FSRA)
- Clear all snow and ice from windows, lights, mirrors and the roof before you drive. (ontario.ca)
- Emergency kit: charged phone, water and non-perishable food, flashlight, blanket and warm clothes, jumper cables, shovel, traction mats or sand, candles and a lighter. (ontario.ca) Keep your gas tank at least half full and washer fluid rated for winter.
- Black ice is a thin, nearly invisible layer of ice. Bridges, overpasses and shaded areas freeze first. Slow down, leave much more following distance, and brake and steer gently.
- Snow squalls can cut visibility to almost zero within minutes, especially on highways in snowbelt areas north and west of the GTA (for example parts of Highways 400, 401 and 402). Check Environment Canada for squall warnings before long trips. (Environment Canada alerts)
- Snowplows: stay well back from plows and salt trucks with flashing blue lights and never try to pass a working snowplow. (ontario.ca, How Ontario clears highways)
- Check the roads: Ontario 511 shows road conditions, closures and plow locations on provincial highways — online or by dialing 511. (511on.ca)
If your foreign licence doesn’t give you much winter experience, consider a winter driving lesson. See also our licence exchange guide.
Walking and snow clearing
- Walk slowly with short steps (“walk like a penguin”), use handrails, and watch for ice under fresh snow and at building entrances.
- Sidewalk rules depend on your city. In Toronto, City crews clear public sidewalks once 2 cm or more of snow has fallen; for less than 2 cm, residents and businesses clear the sidewalk next to their property within 12 hours, and owners must clear private driveways, steps and walkways within 24 hours. (City of Toronto) Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham and other municipalities have their own bylaws — check your city’s website or call 311 where available. If you rent, your lease should say who shovels.
- Shovelling is heavy work. Push rather than lift where you can, take breaks, and don’t shovel if a doctor has told you to avoid strenuous activity.
Home safety and heating
- Carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are required by law in Ontario homes that have a fuel-burning appliance (like a gas furnace, water heater or stove), a fireplace or an attached garage. Since January 1, 2026 they are required on every storey as well as next to sleeping areas. In rentals, the landlord is responsible. Apartments and condos have their own rules. (ontario.ca)
- Space heaters: keep them at least one metre from curtains, bedding and furniture, plug directly into the wall (not an extension cord), and turn them off when you leave the room or go to sleep. Never use a barbecue, camp stove or generator indoors.
- Frozen pipes: keep the heat on, insulate pipes near outside walls, and know where your main water shut-off valve is. If you have no water on a cold day, your pipes may be frozen — never use an open flame to thaw them. (City of Toronto)
- Heating bills rise in winter. Ask your landlord whether heat and hydro are included. Low-income households may qualify for the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), a monthly credit on your electricity bill. (Ontario Energy Board, ontario.ca: energy cost help)
- Winter disconnection ban: licensed electricity and natural gas utilities can’t disconnect residential customers for non-payment between November 15 and April 30. Bills, late fees and interest still add up, so keep paying what you can. Customers of unit sub-meter providers may have different rules. (Ontario Energy Board)
- Keep an emergency kit at home for power outages: water, food, flashlight, batteries, medications. (ontario.ca)
Health: cold, wind chill and winter blues
- Wind chill is how cold it feels on bare skin when wind is factored in — check it, not just the temperature. The City of Toronto says the risk of frostbite and hypothermia exists at a wind chill of −10 and below, and at −28 and below frostbite can happen in minutes. (City of Toronto)
- Frostbite often starts on the ears, nose, cheeks, fingers and toes: skin turns white or greyish and feels numb. Get somewhere warm and rewarm gently (no rubbing, no hot water); seek medical care for serious cases.
- Alerts: Environment and Climate Change Canada issues extreme cold, snowfall, freezing rain and squall warnings. Check weather.gc.ca or the WeatherCAN app. (weather.gc.ca) Toronto opens warming centres in cold weather. (City of Toronto)
- Vitamin D and winter blues: there is less daylight in winter. Ask a doctor or pharmacist whether a vitamin D supplement is right for you and your children. Feeling low, tired or homesick in your first winter is common; if it lasts or affects daily life, talk to a doctor — seasonal affective disorder is treatable. (CAMH) Getting outside in daylight and staying active helps.
Kids and school: snow days
Ontario schools rarely close for snow, but on bad-weather days school boards may cancel school buses, and sometimes close schools. Announcements are usually posted early in the morning on your school board’s website and social media, and local radio. Sign up for your school’s or board’s alerts. Kids still need full winter gear for recess.
Winter fun (much of it free)
- Skating: cities run outdoor and indoor rinks with free or low-cost drop-in skating; Toronto also has a skate lending library at some locations. (City of Toronto: skating & winter sports)
- Tobogganing hills, snowshoeing and winter trails in city parks and conservation areas.
- Free and low-cost city recreation programs and library events — see our kids activities guide.
- Toronto’s winter hub: Weather Winter Together.