Freezing rain risk floats over much of Ottawa region

A common thread in a patchwork of weather alerts in eastern Ontario and parts of western Quebec Monday and Tuesday is freezing rain or drizzle.

There are freezing rain warnings in the Bellevile, Brockville and Kingston area and in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Que.

These warnings north to Madoc and east to Prescott say freezing rain or snow could start around noon Monday, easing off in the evening and possibly coming back for an icy, drizzly encore overnight.

Highway 401 in Kingston started to be affected after 11 a.m. Monday, according to the transportation ministry's interactive map.

Temperature is a key variable here as Kingston moves from –5 C early Monday morning up to a forecasted high of 7 C Tuesday, affecting how much ice builds up and how much of this may end up falling as rain.

School buses were cancelled across much of that region Monday.

The other warning in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge sees freezing rain and drizzle starting overnight Monday into Tuesday and ending late Tuesday afternoon.

Forecasters are then looking at significant rain for that area Wednesday night followed by a Thursday freeze.

The rest of eastern Ontario, plus Gatineau and minus the northwesternmost spur of Renfrew County, has a special weather statement about possible freezing rain and drizzle Monday evening and overnight following a few centimetres of snow.

The Ottawa International Airport weather station measured 20 centimetres of snow Saturday and Sunday.

That city is also forecast to get above zero, with a high of –6 C Monday rising to –1 C by Tuesday morning and 4 C Wednesday.