A 'wintry mix' of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain could slow down your travel plans in Ottawa, starting Christmas Eve night, Environment Canada says.
The weather agency has issued a special weather statement for Ottawa calling for snow or ice pellets beginning late in the evening or overnight Christmas Eve. It will transition to freezing rain or freezing drizzle Christmas morning.
"Precipitation associated with the front is expected to begin near midnight or overnight as light snow then become ice pellets overnight. The ice pellets may become mixed with freezing rain or freezing drizzle in the afternoon," said Environment Canada.
The wintry mix condition is expected to taper off late afternoon or early evening Christmas Day.
Environment Canada's forecast calls for a mainly cloudy Christmas Eve with a 40 per cent chance of flurries overnight. Ice pellets beginning overnight with a chance of freezing rain. Temperature steady near minus 8 C.
For Christmas Day, ice pellets ending near noon then cloudy. Risk of freezing rain. Temperature steady near minus 6 C.
Cloudy Saturday night with a chance of freezing drizzle. Temperature steady near minus 5 C.
It will be mild in Ottawa on Boxing Day – expect a mix of sun and cloud and a high of minus 2 C.
The outlook for Monday is sunny and a high of minus 10 C.
The special weather statement for Christmas Eve covers the following areas: Ottawa, Gatineau, Stirling-Tweed-South Frontenac, Bancroft-Bon Echo Park, Merrickville-Wolford-Kemptville, Westport-Charleston Lake, Brockville, Prescott, Cornwall, Morrisburg, Prescott and Russell, Smiths Falls-Lanark-Sharbot Lake, Renfrew-Pembroke-Barry’s Bay, Algonquin, and South River-Burk’s Falls.
