Freezing rain to hit Ottawa Thursday afternoon

Less than a week after extreme cold, Ottawa will see freezing rain and temperatures well above average.

Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa, saying a prolonged period of freezing rain will begin Thursday afternoon.

It's should start as snow, before changing over to ice pellets and then freezing rain.

“Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery,” Environment Canada said in a statement.  

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

The weather agency is expecting ice accretion of 2 to 5 millimetres before the freezing rain changes to rain Thursday night. 

A fog advisory is also in effect for Ottawa Thursday morning, with dense fog reducing visibility to near zero in some areas. Environment Canada is warning the fog may create black ice on some surfaces.

The fog is expected to lift late this morning.

Temperatures are well above average for this time of year. Thursday’s forecast high is 0 C, with wind chill values near -13 this morning and -7 this afternoon.

The overnight low will be 1 C. 

On Wednesday, Ottawa saw a high of 5.3 C at 4 p.m. at the Ottawa Airport, which matched the 1990 airport record for the warmest Feb. 8 in the city.

Friday will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers in the morning. The high will be 3 C.

Expect cloudy skies Friday evening and an overnight low of -11 C.

On Saturday – a mix of sun and cloud with a 60 per cent chance of flurries and a high of -2 C.