Moving in winter in Toronto works well with a little more planning. Book the date and both buildings early, know the City’s snow rules, keep a back-up date in mind, and protect art, pianos and electronics from the cold and from sudden warming. Keep the heat on in the home you are leaving until the keys change hands.
This guide covers the rules that apply on the street, what happens when it snows, how to handle the pieces that react to cold, and what to add to your checklist.
Is it a good idea to move in winter in Toronto?
Yes, if you plan for the weather. In our experience, winter is usually a less busy season for moves, so there are often more dates open than in summer.
The season is a long one. The City of Toronto says winter weather typically occurs between November and March (City of Toronto), so a move booked for late November can still meet snow and ice, even though the City notes that most snow falls in January and February.
A winter move has more parts that sit outside your control: the street, the forecast, the driveway and the temperature inside the truck. None of them is a reason to avoid winter. Each one needs a plan, made before moving day rather than on it.
If your date is set by a closing or a lease, winter may not be a choice at all. The questions below are the ones to work through, in roughly the order they come up.
What Toronto snow rules affect moving day?
Moving vans may park on the street while actively loading or unloading, but posted signs still apply, and a declared Major Snowstorm Condition bans parking on snow routes. Property owners must also clear driveways, steps, ramps and landings within 24 hours after snowfall ends.
Parking. The City allows moving vans to park on the street while actively loading or unloading. Drivers must still follow posted signs and other parking rules, and where no sign says otherwise, a three-hour limit applies on public roads (City of Toronto). The City’s Special Parking Consideration, which can cancel some tickets, is not available for moving days, so plan where the truck will stand before the day.
Snow routes. When the City declares a Major Snowstorm Condition, parking on roads designated as snow routes is prohibited, and vehicles parked on them are towed at the owner’s expense (City of Toronto). If either address is on a snow route, ask your mover where the truck will park if a declaration is made.
Clearing snow. Property owners must clear snow and ice from driveways, parking spaces, steps, ramps and landings within 24 hours after snowfall ends. Snow must not be pushed onto sidewalks, roads or bike lanes; it has to be stored on the property (City of Toronto). On moving day, a clear path from the door to the street at both addresses makes every trip with a sofa or a crate safer.
Sidewalks. City crews start clearing public sidewalks once 2 cm of snow has fallen and the snow has stopped, or when icy conditions call for it, and clearing can continue for up to 72 hours. For less than 2 cm, residents and businesses must clear the sidewalk next to their property within 12 hours after the snow stops (City of Toronto). The sidewalk outside your door may still be covered on moving morning.
What happens if it snows on moving day?
If a major snowstorm is forecast for moving day, we contact you to move the date. In lighter snow, many moves go ahead as planned, and your coordinator confirms the plan with you before the day.
Whatever the forecast, agree a few things in advance:
- A back-up date. If your closing or lease allows it, know which day you could move to.
- Who clears what. Decide who will clear the driveway, steps and walkway at each address, and when.
- Access at the new home. If it has been empty, make sure the heat is on, the path is clear and someone can open the door.
- How you will be reached. Keep your phone close in the days before, so a change of plan reaches you in time.
If the date does move, other bookings move with it: elevators, loading docks, utility dates and any trades. Ask each one now how a change is handled, so a forecast does not turn into a scramble.
How do you move into a condo in winter?
Book the service elevator and the loading dock at both buildings as early as you can, and ask each building what protection it expects in the lobby and the elevator. In winter, also find out how the building handles a rebooking if a storm moves your date.
The building’s rules set much of moving day in a condo: the elevator window, the dock, the paperwork and how common areas are protected. Our guide to moving into a Toronto condo covers them in full.
In winter, a few of those points matter more. The elevator window is fixed, and snow can slow the truck on the way, so leave some margin rather than taking the last slot of the day. Some loading docks and ramps are outdoors; ask management who clears them, and when. Confirm with your mover who supplies the protection for the lobby, corridors and elevator. And if the move is postponed, the elevator booking has to change too, so ask now how much notice the building needs.
Can you move a piano, art or electronics in the cold?
Yes, with care. Cold makes some materials brittle, and warming them too quickly can cause condensation, so the aim is to keep these pieces insulated on the truck and let them adjust slowly at the new home.
Pianos. Steinway recommends a constant temperature of about 20°C and relative humidity of 45 to 70%, with the piano placed away from windows, outside doors, radiators and heating outlets. It also says sudden fluctuations in temperature must be avoided, because they can affect tuning and regulation (Steinway & Sons). Yamaha gives 40 to 45% as ideal, so follow your own maker’s guidance. Yamaha warns that when a cold room is warmed suddenly, moisture can condense on the strings and other metal parts and cause rust, and advises particular care with sudden temperature changes when moving a piano into a room in a cold northern climate (Yamaha Canada).
In practice, have the room at its normal temperature before the piano arrives, and let the instrument settle before you book a tuning. Neither maker gives a set waiting time. Yugo moves pianos, including grand pianos, and plans the route, the crew and the placement for each one. Pianos must be disclosed at booking and are quoted separately. Our specialty moves page explains how a piano move is planned and carried out.
Art. The Canadian Conservation Institute explains that oil and acrylic paints become brittle as the temperature falls, leaving paintings much more vulnerable to shocks and blows. It notes that in winter the inside of a truck can fall well below those temperatures, and advises insulating artworks in transit, in the crate or at least with blankets for a short carry outside (Canadian Conservation Institute). Museum guidelines for sensitive materials such as canvas paintings recommend a stable temperature of 16 to 25°C and relative humidity of 40 to 60% (IIC and ICOM-CC).
On arrival, give crated works time before opening them. One museum’s loan conditions, for example, require crates to wait 24 hours after delivery before they are unpacked (The Walters Art Museum). Yugo crews do not hang art or anchor furniture during a move. For special art services or hanging, consult Yugo first. Our fine art logistics page explains how works are handled.
Electronics. TCL’s user manual warns that moving a set from a cold place to a warm one can cause condensation on the screen and some internal parts, and says to let it evaporate before switching the set on (TCL). Check your own model’s manual, and leave the screen off until it is clear and dry. Laptops, phones and hard drives are best carried with you in the car, as on any move.
How do you protect both homes?
Keep the heat on in the home you are leaving until it is handed over, and transfer the utilities early so the new home is warm and lit when the truck arrives. Then record the condition of both homes before the work starts.
The home you leave. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says most insurance policies exclude frozen-pipe and water damage if a home is vacant. For a vacant home, it advises shutting off the water supply and draining the lines to help prevent frozen pipes (Insurance Bureau of Canada). If the home will stand empty between your move and the handover, speak to your insurer before you leave.
The utilities. Toronto Hydro handles a move within Toronto through your online account, where you can transfer service to a new address or close the account; its phone line can help if you need it (Toronto Hydro). Enbridge Gas takes moves online and asks for your new address and your move-in and move-out dates (Enbridge Gas). Start both early, so there is heat and light at the new home on the day.
The condition of both homes. On every move, Yugo crews photograph and record the condition of your home and significant items at both addresses. Take your own photographs too, of the floors, walls and door frames along the route the furniture will take.
What changes when you leave the GTA in winter?
Check the road before you leave, and have a plan for a delay. Ontario advises checking road conditions on Ontario 511 and the forecast before setting out, and postponing travel when conditions look poor, if you can.
Distance turns weather into a planning problem: a storm that slows traffic across town can close a highway for a day. Ontario’s winter driving advice also covers winter tires, a maintenance check before the season, and a winter survival kit in the car with water, food, blankets and a shovel (Ontario.ca). If you are driving behind the truck, keep the kit in your own car.
For a cottage, mention private roads and long or steep driveways when the move is assessed, as they are harder for a large truck in winter. Our guide to moving long distance from Toronto and our long distance relocation page cover the rest.
What goes on a winter moving checklist?
The same list as any move, with a few winter additions: a back-up date, a plan for the snow, utilities on at the new home, and insulation for the pieces that react to cold. Our guide to how far in advance to book a moving company covers the timing.
- Agree a back-up date, if your closing or lease allows one.
- Check whether either address is on a snow route, and where the truck will park.
- Book the elevator and loading dock at both buildings, and ask how a rebooking works.
- Decide who clears the driveway, steps and walkway at each address, and when.
- Start the Toronto Hydro and Enbridge Gas transfers early.
- Keep the heat on in the home you are leaving until it is handed over.
- Tell your mover about pianos, art and anything else that needs insulating, at booking.
- Have the new home heated before the truck arrives.
- Leave televisions off until any condensation has cleared, and crated art closed for a while after delivery.
- Check Ontario 511 and the forecast before any move out of the city.
If you are planning a move between November and March, begin an enquiry and we will tell you what is available and what the move will need.
Sources
Winter road operations fact sheet, City of Toronto
Parking regulations, City of Toronto
City of Toronto declares Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event ahead of snow operations, City of Toronto
Clearing snow and ice from your property, City of Toronto
Sidewalk clearing, City of Toronto
Caring for your Steinway, Steinway & Sons
Caring for your piano, Yamaha Canada
Temperature, Canadian Conservation Institute
Environmental Guidelines: IIC and ICOM-CC Declaration, International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and ICOM-CC
Conditions Governing Loans From the Collection, The Walters Art Museum
Multi product user manual (RS530), TCL
Winter storm warning: what homeowners should do now to protect their property, Insurance Bureau of Canada
Start, stop or move your account, Toronto Hydro
I’m moving, Enbridge Gas
Winter driving, Government of Ontario
