OTTAWA -- The first snowstorm of 2021 blanketed Ottawa with 10 centimetres of fresh snow.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Ottawa, Gatineau and eastern Ontario Friday night, calling for heavy snow through Saturday morning.
A total 2.4 centimetres of snow fell at the Ottawa Airport on Friday night, with another 7.6 centimetres of snow on Saturday.
The 7.6 cm of snow on Saturday just missed the record for greatest snowfall on Jan. 2 in Ottawa history. The record is 10.2 cm of snow, set back in 1947.
The snowfall warning for Ottawa ended just after 8 a.m.
The City of Ottawa issued a winter weather parking ban. Vehicles aren't allowed to park on city streets between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Saturday as crews are expected to be busy clearing snow. The city says the parking ban will end at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Monthly permit holders are exempt from the restriction provided they're parked in residential zones. Other vehicles will be ticketed and towed. The city also says the hours could be extended on the ban, if plows need more time.
OPP reported a collision on the westbound Queensway just after 7 a.m.
Ottawa received 15.6 centimetres of snow in December. According to the Twitter handle @YOW_Weather, December 2020 was one of the least snowy Decembers in Ottawa history. There was 15.5 centimetres of snow in December 1949.
Here is a look at the Environment Canada forecast for Ottawa to start 2021:
Saturday: Snow ending in the morning then cloudy. Amount 5 to 10 centimetres. Temperature steady near minus 2°C, with the wind chill it will feel like minus 8 in the morning.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy with a low of minus 11°C and a wind chill of minus 5 this evening and minus 16 overnight.
Sunday: Cloudy. High minus 3°C.
Monday: A mix of sun and cloud. High minus 1°C.
Tuesday: Snowy. High minus 1°C.
The normal temperatures for this time of year are a high of minus 6°C and a low of minus 15°C.
