Three school boards operating in Durham have announced a full closure of their schools for today (Monday, January 26), even as the region and municipalities began post-storm snow clearing operations.
“All Durham District School Board [DDSB] schools and work sites will be closed to students and staff tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2026,” said a DDSB alert.
“This system-wide decision has been made due to the winter storm, significant snowfall forecasted to continue through the evening, and the anticipated storm aftermath, including snow clearing across communities. All school-based childcare programs, including before- and after-school care, will be cancelled,” it said.
DDSB appreciated your flexibility and understanding as it prioritized the safety of students, staff, and families. Further updates will be shared as needed, it said.
All KPR Schools and Buildings Closed
“As a result of the winter storm, significant snowfall forecasted to continue throughout the evening, and associated snow clearing in communities, all KPR schools, buildings, and worksites, including Education Centres, Before and After School programs, and full-day child care centres, are closed tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2026, to students and all staff,” said a Kawartha Pine Ride District School Board (KPRDSB) advisory yesterday.
All DCDSB Schools and Buildings Closed
All Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB schools, offices and buildings are closed on Monday, January 26, 2026, due to inclement weather conditions, said an alert yesterday.
“Bus transportation, the Catholic Education Centre, community use permits, and before and after school programs located in schools are also cancelled. Childcare centres operating within DCDSB schools will communicate directly with families enrolled in their programs. Secondary schools will communicate updates regarding exams to students and families,” it said
DCDSB schools and offices will re-open on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, it added.
Snow Clearing & Warming Centres
Durham Region yesterday said the region is experiencing cold temperatures and expecting a major snowfall.
To support the health and safety of all residents, select winter warming locations will offer extended hours. For a complete list of warming locations and hours of operation, visit durham.ca/WinterWarming.
It said regional crews are prepared and will be working 24/7 to keep the roads safe. Please keep a safe distance from snow clearing vehicles.
Pickering: The City of Pickering said its crews are clearing roads and sidewalks in priority sequence in accordance with established winter maintenance standards. We thank you for your patience and cooperation during this extreme cold and heavy snowfall, and encourage caution if travel is necessary.
It said there were no nor planned service disruptions (impacts to city programs, facilities, or services).
Ajax: The Town of Ajax has declared a significant weather event, and is advising residents to use extra caution. It warned that winter maintenance service levels for roads and sidewalks may not be met.
Whitby: The Town of Whitby advised residents that due to inclement weather, all Town of Whitby facilities were to close at noon on Sunday, January 25. All programs and permits are cancelled. The recreational skate scheduled from 11:15 am to 1 pm at the McKinney Centre was also cancelled. Programs and facilities are expected to resume/reopen tomorrow (January 26) as scheduled.
Oshawa: The city has declared a Significant Weather Event. “Our crews continue to work around the clock to clear roads and sidewalks, prioritizing main routes first. Please avoid any unnecessary travel and keep vehicles off the road during snow‑clearing operations,” it said.
As a result of the storm the regular city ccouncil meeting originally planned for Monday, January 26 will now take place on Tuesday, January 27 at 9:30 am. In-person counter services at City Hall (Service Oshawa, Building Services, Taxation Services and Licensing and Standards) will re-open no earlier than 12 noon on Monday, January 26. Service Oshawa will be available by phone, email or live online chat during regular business hours.
All City recreation facilities, Oshawa Senior Citizens Centres and Oshawa Public Libraries remain closed and will re-open no earlier than 12 pm noon on Monday, January 26, the city said.
Clarington: The Municipality of Clarington recreation facilities were closed and all programming cancelled beginning at noon yesterday. All facilities are scheduled to re-open during regular business hours on Monday, January 26.
Uxbridge: The of Uxbridge has declared a significant weather event. Based on the heavy snowfall and high winds creating whiteout conditions, the township wishes to advise residents that roads may be snow covered and slippery. Residents are asked to drive according to the weather conditions.
Roads, sidewalks and parking lots will be cleared as soon as crews are able to address them. Please assist our work crews by refraining from on-street parking to enable plows to go down the street and not pushing or blowing snow onto the roadways and streets.
This significant weather event designation will continue through the night. The township will update the situation on Monday, January 26th, it said.
Orange-level Winter Storm
Environment Canada had yesterday upgraded the winter storm warning to an orange-level around the Greater Toronto Area as of 4:50pm.
Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) said: “The region is under a winter storm warning and heavy snow is expected to continue through-out the day. There are white-out conditions causing poor visibility and road conditions are deteriorating quickly. If you must drive, please slow down, increase following distance and use extreme caution.
“If your travel is not essential, we suggest you stay safe and warm at home until road conditions improve,” it said.
DRPS reported that eastbound lanes on Taunton Road East from Audley Road North to Lake Ridge Road North in Whitby had to be temporarily closed due to a collision.
Elexicon Energy on Saturday reported an outage due to an unknown cause in Pickering affecting Churchwin Street and Gladstone Street.
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