Freezing rain Saturday; Ottawa expecting warmer temperatures into next week

Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa-North, Kanata and Orléans.

Patchy, light freezing rain is expected to begin late in the morning, creating a hazard of slippery roads and sidewalks. Drivers are cautioned to pay attention to road conditions as freezing drizzle could continue into Sunday morning.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of -2 C earlier in the day and a low of 0 C in the evening, which mild compared to historical data.

Based on historical weather data from Environment Canada, the average minimum temperature on this day is -13.6 C, with the lowest temperature sitting at -31.7 C on December 27, 1993.

Ottawa’s 7-day forecast

• Today (Friday Dec. 27) Mix of sun and cloud, wind up to 15 km/h. High -6 C, -8 C this afternoon. Low -11 C this evening. Wind chill near -16 C.
• Saturday Dec. 28: Cloudy, periods of freezing rain beginning in the morning. High -2 C. With wind chill, -15 C in the morning and -7 C in the afternoon. Forty per cent chance of showers in the evening. Low zero.
• Sunday Dec. 29: Periods of rain. High 5 C. Low 4 C.
• Monday Dec. 30: Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of showers. High 5 C. Cloudy with 30 per cent chance of showers in the evening. Low 1 C.
• Tuesday Dec 31: Cloudy. High 3 C. Forty percent chance of rain or snow in the evening. Low 1 C.
• Wednesday Jan 1: Periods of snow or rain. High 2 C. Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of flurries in the evening. Low -4 C.
• Thursday Jan 2: Cloudy with 40 per cent chance of flurries. High -2 C.

While synthetic skating rinks — including the Rink of Dreams and the ByWard Market’s new skating rink — will not be impacted by the warmer temperatures, it’s important to avoid venturing onto frozen bodies of water as temperatures rise and ice melts.

From the Ottawa Christmas Market to winter trails, Ottawa residents can take the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors during milder winter temperatures.

According to the National Capital Commission (NCC), winter trails in Ottawa include:

• Kichi Sibi Winter Trail
• Ottawa West Winter Trail
• Britannia Winter Trail Association
• Rideau Winter Trail
• Ski Heritage East

Click here for more details.