A winter storm is set to hit Ottawa during the final weekend of March, with “significant ice accretion” of 5 to 15 millimetres of freezing rain expected.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Ottawa and eastern Ontario, warning a “potent spring ice storm” is likely to hit the area starting late Friday. The weather agency says amounts of 5 to 15 mm of freezing rain is possible, while some areas could see 20 mm.
“Confidence is increasing in a widespread, prolonged freezing rain event over portions of southern and northeastern Ontario,” Environment Canada said.
“The swath of maximum ice accretion is still uncertain at this point, but confidence is highest for areas of central and eastern Ontario between Parry Sound and Kingston. Warnings will be issued as the event draws nearer.”
Environment Canada says some areas could see 5 to 15 cm of snowfall and ice pellet accumulations.
The Weather Network says Ottawa is “currently on the edge” between a major ice storm and a major snowstorm.
“Either way, we’re likely to see a high-impact event in the area over the weekend. A slight northward shift in the system, however, could lead to a complete bust,” the Weather Network said.
Sig. weather outlooks for Fri & Sat👇
— ECCC Weather Ontario (@ECCCWeatherON) March 25, 2025
📢A significant spring storm is expected beginning Fri and continuing through the weekend. The main hazards will be heavy ice build-up due to freezing rain🧊 and possibly significant snowfall.❄️
Utility outages are expected.#ONStorm #ONWx pic.twitter.com/JM7skQWHFq
The forecast calls for Ottawa to see mainly cloudy skies on Wednesday with a 60 per cent chance of flurries or showers. High 2 C.
Mainly cloudy this evening then clearing overnight. Low -6 C.
Thursday will start sunny, with increasing cloudiness in the afternoon. High 8 C.
Friday will be cloudy. High 3 C.
Environment Canada says Ottawa will see snow Friday night.
The outlook for Saturday calls for mainly cloudy skies. High 0 C.
Sunday will see freezing rain or snow. High 0 C.
The normal temperatures for this time of year are a high of 6 C and a low of -4 C.
