A large portion of the country from Ontario to Newfoundland is bracing for a wet wintry weather mix on Wednesday, with some regions expected to see a “critical freezing rain event,” according to Environment Canada.
An area stretching east from Huntsville, Ont., that includes Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City was under a freezing rain warning Wednesday morning. Environment Canada said between 20 and 40 millimetres of freezing rain is expected over a 24-hour period.
Meanwhile, the entirety of Southern Ontario, including the Greater Toronto Area, was under a rainfall warning, the government department said, with heavy rain expected throughout the day.
“The saturated or frozen ground will have little ability to absorb this rainfall,” said Environment Canada on its website.
“A series of low-pressure systems will lead to significant rainfall across parts of southern Ontario. Areas in the Huron-Perth region could get a total of 50 to 60 mm. Water will likely pool on roads and in low-lying areas.”
Some areas in Ontario and Quebec north of the regions expected to receive freezing rain Wednesday were under winter storm warnings, with snow, ice pellets and strong winds expected.
A portion of northeastern Quebec on the north side of the St. Lawrence River could see up to 40 centimetres of snow accumulation from Wednesday evening into Thursday afternoon, Environment Canada said.
Winter storm warnings were also in effect for northern New Brunswick, while the southern part of the province, as well as the western side of Prince Edward Island, was expected to see freezing rain later on Wednesday, according to the agency.
In Newfoundland, the entire western coast of the island was under a weather warning, with “hazardous winter conditions” expected in the north and heavy rainfall in the south.
Alerts were also in effect elsewhere in Canada, with forecasters warning of “very cold wind chills” in northern Manitoba, fog in central Saskatchewan and cold in the northern part of the province. Snowfall warnings were issued for parts of Alberta Wednesday morning, and some areas of B.C. were under special weather statements due to risk of snow.
Some regions of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were under a blizzard and cold warnings.