Cancelled flights possible as heavy snow headed for Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario

Published March 21, 2024 at 1:10 pm

Snow on the way to Pearson Airport in Mississauga.

A blast of heavy snow on its way to the GTA on Friday could bring flight delays and cancellations along with it, say officials at Pearson Airport in Mississauga.

With more than 10 centimetres of snow in the forecast for the area from Friday afternoon into Saturday, travellers are being advised to keep an eye on the status of their flights before heading to Pearson.

In a post this afternoon to social media, airport officials warned of possible flight delays and cancellations on Friday.

“Toronto Pearson is expecting up to 13 cm of snow to fall at the airport starting in the early afternoon Friday and continuing through the night,” Pearson officials said in a post to X (formerly Twitter). “At the heaviest points of the storm, we could see up to three centimetres of snow per hour at the airport. Our crews are preparing our specialized snow removal equipment to keep the taxiways, aprons and runways as clear as possible. With any winter storm, there is the possibility that airlines will need to cancel and delay some flights.”

Pearson officials said at the outset of winter they’re more than ready to clear the runways of heavy snow when it arrives. More than 100 snow plows, tractors, trucks and other pieces of equipment are lined up to complete the task when needed, they noted.

By the numbers, the airport lists the following among its specialized snow removal vehicles and equipment: