The Ottawa-Gatineau region is facing an imminent threat of freezing rain on Sunday evening, as warned by Environment Canada. An orange-level alert has been issued for the capital city, along with large parts of eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
In Ottawa, a significant amount of freezing rain is anticipated to start tonight and persist into Monday morning, with ice buildup expected to range between 15 and 20 millimetres. The weather agency cautions that travel conditions will be dangerous, and extended power disruptions are probable. The Monday morning commute is likely to be challenging, and unnecessary trips are advised to be postponed.
By late Monday morning, the freezing rain is projected to transition into regular rain as temperatures climb slightly above zero, according to Environment Canada. Additionally, near Kingston, wind gusts reaching speeds of up to 100 km/h are forecasted.
Communities such as Cornwall, Pembroke, Renfrew, Perth, Gananoque, and Bancroft, as well as the entire Outaouais region, are also encompassed by the orange-level warning. In the Kingston, Napanee, and Belleville areas, residents are under a set of yellow-level alerts for rain, freezing rain, and wind.
Environment Canada’s outlook for Kingston includes an overnight rainfall estimate of 20 to 30 millimetres, coupled with strong wind gusts near Lake Ontario on Monday. The weather agency recently introduced a revamped color-coded weather alert system, aligning with guidelines from the World Meteorological Association. Weather warnings are now categorized into three escalating severity levels: yellow, orange, and red.