Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has closed Maple Leaf Square because of wintry weather that has descended on Toronto.

The closure, which took effect hours before the start of the first playoff game between the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards in Toronto and the second playoff game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins, comes as the city is being slammed by freezing rain and ice pellets.

A spring storm is moving through Southern Ontario on Saturday.

MLSE said in a statement on Saturday that its decision to close the square, which also goes by Jurassic Park for Raptors games, is due public safety concerns.

MLSE said in a statement on Saturday that its decision to close Jurassic Park is due public safety concerns. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

"Due to inclement weather conditions involving expected high winds and freezing rain, and with the safety of our fans in mind, Maple Leaf Square will be closed for both the Toronto Raptors game at 5:30 p.m. as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs broadcast following the conclusion of the Raptors game," it said.

MLSE added that Maple Leaf Square will resume its regular tailgate programming on Monday.

Maple Leaf Square runs a full city block right next to the Air Canada Centre where the Raptors and Leafs play their home games.

On game days, it's closed off to traffic and opened up to thousands of screaming fans, all of them watching on a gigantic big screen TV.​