Torontonians will be heading out Friday morning with temperatures feeling as low as -25C with wind chill factored in. Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said 10 to 15 centimetres are forecast to hit the city by Saturday.

Winds are expected to pick up to 20 kilometres per hour, which will blow the snow from the afternoon storm and make conditions difficult.

Just north of the GTA, snowfall will continue to grow in Barrie, Midland, and Orillia with 15 to 25 centimetres of snow expected by Thursday night, according to the weather agency.

Saturday will see a daytime high of 3 C, and Coulson says that it’s important for people to take advantage of the mild weather to shovel their driveways to prevent slippery conditions as the snow may turn into rain.

Toronto’s first extreme weather alert of the season was issued by the city’s acting medical officer of health on Wednesday. During the extreme weather conditions, Torontonians are asked to check in on those most at risk of cold-related illnesses. These people include the homeless, those who work outdoors, people with heart conditions, elderly people, and infants and young children.

On Thursday afternoon, Mother Nature brewed a perfect storm for commuters as the height of the treacherous snowstorm paralyzed the city’s roads during rush hour, making for a messy journey home.

GO buses and vehicles struggled to drive up hilly-roads in the city, and hundreds of flights out of Toronto’s airports were cancelled, as the sudden whiteout crippled all forms of transportation in the GTA.

“I’ve never seen — at least in the GTA — this kind of situation,” Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said. “Everything seems to be gridlocked,”

Women in a lineup waiting in the cold for a bus to Hamilton from Toronto’s Union Station started betting on how long their ride would take. On a regular day, they said, the commute lasts just over an hour.

“It’ll be two hours for sure, if the gods are good to us,” said Amy Cross, who had just spent almost an hour in a taxi trying to make it to the bus stop.

“Or three!” shouted someone further down the line.

A GO bus driver at Union Station said the conditions had been “terrible,” and another, who gave his name as Rick, wasn’t fazed by the weather. “This is Canada,” he said. “It’s par for the course.”

He pointed out that many other parts of the country and province had already experienced lots of wintery weather this season. He said the conditions would likely make people drive more carefully.

Toronto Police were warning drivers of hazardous driving conditions, especially along areas of Bayview Ave. where there were reports of vehicle problems on the hilly-areas.

From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., there were at least five collisions reported in Toronto, including a head-on collision with multiple injuries, and another collision involving a fuel tanker.

According to Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the Ontario Provincial Police, there were over 500 collisions on provincial highways in the GTA and surrounding areas since 6 a.m.

Billy Bishop Airport and Pearson Airport were both reporting flight cancellations and delays.

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York University suspended all operations as of 5 p.m., and postponed exams scheduled for 7 p.m.

With files from Fakiha Baig and Megan Dolski