Snow coming to town: 15-20 cm expected just before the holidays

Flurries are already falling in the west end of Ottawa as a storm system makes its way to the nation’s capital on Monday.

Environment Canada is calling for 15 to 20 centimetres of snow starting mid-afternoon and overnight on Dec. 23. Peak snowfall rates could be up to 2 to 3 centimetres per hour. The system is expected to become heavy tonight with flurries tapering off and a risk of freezing drizzle possible.

The weather agency says this storm in particular is a difficult one for meteorologists to track.

“There is still some uncertainty with where the heaviest snow sets up but most regions are expected to see near 15 centimetres with locally up to 20 centimetres possible,” it said.

The City of Ottawa does not have a parking ban in effect. In a post on X, the municipality asked people to avoid parking on the street if possible.

This comes just after temperatures dropped to -20 C over the weekend in Ottawa, forcing many to bundle up while grabbing any last-minute gifts.

It’s still quite cold in the city on Monday, according to Environment Canada, due to the wind chill dropping temperatures to -19 C. As the system moves in, the temperature is set to increase to -15 C overnight.

On Christmas Eve, there’s a risk of freezing drizzle in the morning with temperatures hovering around -14 C with the wind chill.

With a busy travel day around the holidays, officials are warning people to consider adjusting travel plans. Accumulating snow could make roads and highways difficult to drive on, and the weather agency predicts heavy snow could make visibility near zero.

“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions,” it notes.

Just outside the nation’s capital, areas like Perth, Carleton Place, Brockville and Prescott are likely to get hit with more snow. A snowfall warning issued at 5:16 a.m. on Monday notes that rural areas could see total amounts of 15 to 20 centimetres of snow.

Peak snowfall amounts could reach 2 to 3 centimetres per hour. It’s set to start mid to late this afternoon.

“Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations,” Environment Canada says.