Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning for Eastern Ontario — and if the forecast is correct, it looks like this storm will be a doozy.
BIG storm for tomorrow #ottawa. Anywhere from 20-40cm of snow, very hard to forecast due to uncertain track #onstorm pic.twitter.com/8K1PDwFCij
— Arpad Kertesz (@ArpadKertesz) February 15, 2016
Snow, freezing rain and ice pellets are expected to hit Tuesday, when a low-pressure system from Texas picks up intensity as it heads towards the Great Lakes in the morning. Then, it will track northeast in the afternoon, packing a punch across the St. Lawrence Valley.
Winter storm warning in effect for #Ottawa. Stay safe, follow these tips: https://t.co/Zogt0qoorT #ONStorm
— Hydro Ottawa (@hydroottawa) February 16, 2016
“Depending on the exact nature of the low track, total snowfall amounts of 20 to 40 cm are possible with this storm. A few hours of freezing rain near the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa valley is also possible,” Environment Canada warns.
Heavy snow and freezing rain will cause hazardous driving conditions — non-essential travel should be postponed and commuters are being advised that they should be prepared for rush-hour delays.
⚠Please avoid unnecessary travel during this storm, @environmentca warns. Many MVCs already in S. #Ontario #Traffic #Onstorm
— Ontario Traffic (@TrafficOntario) February 15, 2016
“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” the Environment Canada alert notes, adding that ice build-up may cause damage to trees.