Potential ice storm may cause widespread power outages
All local news and weather outlets are warning about possibility of an ice storm
“An intense weather system to his southern and eastern Ontario this weekend is expected to bring freezing rain and strong winds, which could cause widespread power outages and dangerous road conditions.” Reported by Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/4142329/ice-storm-power-outage-southern-ontario/
“A potential ice storm across much of southern Ontario over the weekend may cause widespread power outages impacting thousands of customers, hydro officials warn.
The major weather event, which will last around three and a half days, is expected to pummel much of southern Ontario with heavy rain, freezing rain and ice pellets beginning late Friday evening and into Sunday.
“Yesterday we were thinking more freezing rain, less ice pellets,” Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell said.
“Now, that cold layer is a little bit deeper, so this is going to be an ice pellet event for much of Saturday.”
Worst time to travel will be Sunday morning. This is also when the combination of ice buildup on trees and 70km/h winds will cause the majority of power outages. pic.twitter.com/ABD1aMnrHY
— Anthony Farnell (@AnthonyFarnell) April 13, 2018 “
“A wintry ‘cocktail’ of freezing rain and ice pellets could cause power outages this weekend”, reported by CBC News.
Freezing Rain (Ice storm) Warning
Issued at 10:46 Friday 13 April 2018
Significant ice build-up due to freezing rain is expected or occurring.
Ice storm likely this weekend.
A moisture laden low pressure area over the Central Plains States will amble slowly towards the lower Great Lakes this weekend. As the low gets closer, brisk northeasterly winds will pump in cold arctic air, forcing temperatures to fall to near or below the zero degree mark on Saturday.
Rain associated with this low will therefore switch over to freezing rain on Saturday, and will likely persist for a number of hours into Saturday evening. Freezing rain may become mixed with or turn over to ice pellets at times, with some areas receiving a few centimetres of the ice pellet mess.
Freezing rain is expected to end for a few hours on Saturday evening, with patchy freezing drizzle likely during the lull. However, as the low gets close to Southern Ontario Saturday night, freezing rain is expected to move back in, and may persist well into Sunday before changing over to rain, heavy at times. Some uncertainty exists as to the time the precipitation switches over to rain on Sunday.
Ice build up of 10 to 20 mm appears quite likely across the region by Sunday morning. Ice accretion may be considerably less in areas very close to Lake Ontario as temperatures there may actually remain very close to the freezing mark.
Some areas inland from Lake Ontario may receive more than 20 mm of freezing rain, which would result in higher amounts of ice accretion especially if temperatures hover a couple degrees below zero.
Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty northeast winds to 60 km/h may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines.
Dangerous winter driving conditions are expected on untreated roads Saturday and Sunday.
Flooding may become a threat in some areas by Sunday evening.
Rain is expected to taper off later Monday.
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Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots will become icy, slippery and extremely hazardous. Extended and widespread utility outages are possible.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to ONstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #ONStorm.
