Snowfall warnings lifted for Ottawa-Gatineau
Some parts of Ottawa had 26 cm of snow by late Thursday morning
After persisting into Thursday afternoon, the snowfall warning for the Ottawa-Gatineau region have ended.
Earlier in the day, snowfall warnings ended in the Bancroft, Belleville, Kingston, Maniwaki, Renfrew County, Lanark County, and Prescott-Russell areas.
Further east, warnings remain for the Brockville and Cornwall areas.
The capital received more than 15 centimetres of snow at its main airport Wednesday. Environment Canada said some parts of the Ottawa area had 26 centimetres by late Thursday morning.
As of noon Thursday, Ottawa was forecast to get another centimetre or two before changing to flurries.
Ottawa has warned about expected delays with its buses — though it's not moving to its new severe winter storm plan — and Environment Canada recommends leaving extra time to travel.
Ottawa has a parking ban for most people on most streets from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.
Kingston is piloting a similar ban until March.
The Ottawa International Airport Authority says bad weather makes it especially useful to check the status of flights before going there.
All English and French school buses were cancelled across eastern Ontario Thursday.
Many schools with cancelled buses are still open. Check with your board or school about what your specific options are, especially with some schools holding exams. The Ottawa Catholic School Board, for example, has moved exams back a day.
School buses are running in western Quebec and most of its boards and service centres warn the weather could cause delays.
Temperatures drop this weekend
Ottawa's daytime temperature shouldn't stray much from the –5 C at the airport at 6 a.m.
It should also stay around there most of Friday, with a dip to around –15 C in the middle Thursday night.
Saturday night seems to be the turning point where the above-average temperatures the capital has had for the last few months drop to seasonal or even below-seasonal levels.
Winterlude starts next Friday. If the Rideau Canal Skateway isn't open by then, it will be its latest opening date ever going back to 1970, surpassing the Feb. 2 opening in 2002.