Before the holidays, the Capital was blanketed with snow, and now we’ve got a mixed bag of precipitation on the horizon with freezing drizzle, freezing rain and just plain rain that will last all the way through to New Year’s Eve. It’s hard to keep track of what Mother Nature will send our way, but the Roads and Parking Services team is ready and can adjust to any kind of weather!
Forecast and conditions
Environment Canada has issued a Freezing Rain Warning for the Ottawa region. Starting late this morning, patchy, light freezing rain is expected to transition to freezing drizzle this afternoon and may continue into Sunday morning. The temperature is then expected to rise to a forecasted high of plus 7 degrees on Sunday. Rain showers are expected to begin early Sunday morning, transitioning to steady rain in the afternoon and continue overnight into Monday with the potential for heavy rainfall and 15 to 30 millimetres.
Residents are reminded to exercise caution when using the transportation network this weekend. Areas such as sidewalks, roads, pathways and the winter cycling network may become icy and slippery, creating hazardous travelling conditions. Please adjust to the conditions of the network.
Our response
Across the City and as this event unfolds, supervisors will keep a close eye on sidewalks, roads, and the winter cycling network, and deploy resources when the freezing rain begins to treat icy conditions on the transportation network. With the incoming rain, we will also monitor areas that are prone to localized flooding and address any water pooling by ensuring that catch basins and ditches are open and able to take in water.
In the meantime, we are asking for anyone who can to please ensure that your local catch basin is clear and able to take in water. With over 100,000 catch basins in the City we cannot do it alone and would appreciate any support you can offer.
Find your nearest catch basin using our catch basin locator map. Need to report a blocked catch basin? Let us know!
