Wind chills near -20 expected by Thursday in Ottawa

The nation’s capital will experience a dramatic weather shift over the next 24 hours as an Alberta Clipper moves through eastern Ontario, bringing a mix of precipitation before ushering in the coldest air of the season so far.

The system is producing wet flurries mixed with rain showers across the region on Tuesday. Accumulation is around 2 centimetres, according to Environment Canada, in Ottawa due to temperatures sitting around 0 C . Precipitation is expected to taper off, roughly between 6 and 8 p.m.

A cold front will move through on Jan. 14, bringing heavier flurries to the region. Temperatures will begin falling during the afternoon, followed by on-and-off precipitation.

At the same time, lake-effect snow will intensify across traditional snow belts around Georgian Bay. In Ottawa, expected accumulation is around 2 to 4 centimetres by Wednesday night.

Temperatures will drop to around 0 C by the afternoon, before the wind picks up and plummets the mercury to -13 C.

Overnight, it could feel as cold as -23 with the wind.

Coldest conditions of the season

Thursday morning is expected to bring the coldest conditions of the season so far. This air mass is expected to persist through the end of the month.

It might be good news for the Rideau Canal Skateway, which closed last week due to warm weather.

With files from CityNews’ Natasha O’Neill.