Prolonged Freezing Rain Will Make For Dicey Travel In Parts Of Ontario

By Travel Destination 03 Jan, 2023 Post a Comment

Those in southern and eastern sections of Ontario should brace for difficult travel this week as a favourable, atmospheric setup for an extended period of freezing rain will lead to ice buildup, and travelling and power impacts for parts of the aforementioned regions.

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A Bermuda high will act as the the main gear in a conveyor belt of moisture being ushered north from the Gulf of Mexico this week. A the same time, high pressure from Canada's North will be the gatekeeper to much cooler air that will get funnelled south.

The two air masses will meet over Ontario, leading to a fury of heavy rain, a swath of snow, and in between, a prolonged freezing rain event.

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Two waves of moisture will impact southern Ontario this week, with the first having spread rain across southern Ontario on Tuesday.

As the moisture meets cooler air towards the Ottawa Valley and the Ontario, Quebec provincial border, precipitation will transition to snow, freezing rain and ice into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday.

This precipitation will be short-lived, and the second, more significant event, will arrive Wednesday into Thursday.

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While rain will still be expected for much of southern Ontario, a swath of freezing rain will develop across parts of cottage country and eastern Ontario through the majority of the afternoon and evening.

Ice accumulation could be between 5-10 mm in regions that see the most prolonged period. There is still some uncertainty where the greatest ice accretion will be, however, so continue to check back in with the forecast.

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The ice accretion from freezing rain could cause travel issues, and possible damage to trees and power lines in the hardest-hit areas.

A heavier swath of snow is forecast on the northern extent of this system, potentially spreading 10 to locally 20+ cm of snow to northern cottage country, North Bay and east towards the Ottawa area.

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Ottawa remains a tricky forecast, however, as it is riding the line between seeing significant snowfall or more of an ice event, depending on how far north the warm air nudges.

Widespread flurries on the backend of the system Thursday can be expected across southern and eastern Ontario as the upper low associated with the system swings through.

Temperatures will start to fall back toward seasonal behind this system, with daytime highs around the freezing mark expected for much of the region by next weekend.

Check back for the latest on conditions across Ontario.