Another Icy Day Ahead for Eastern Ontario; Second Round of Prolonged Freezing Rain on Friday Morning
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After being coated in ice all day Wednesday, Eastern Ontario is bracing for another round of freezing rain on Friday. This upcoming bout of freezing rain is expected to impact many of the same areas that were heavily affected by Wednesday's icing event.
A system moving into Southern Ontario late Thursday will bring mostly rain to Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe region.
However, this system will run into the cold air lingering over Eastern Ontario, which was responsible for Wednesday's significant freezing rain. This will lead to the development of more freezing rain, starting early Friday morning along the Dundalk Highlands and extending eastward into the Ottawa Valley.
Freezing rain is forecast to continue across Eastern Ontario throughout the morning and into the afternoon. By late Friday afternoon, we could see an additional 5-10mm of ice accumulation. Considering the existing layer of ice from the previous event, this additional freezing rain poses an increased risk of power outages and hazardous road conditions.
Regarding ice accumulation, it's important to note that the amounts mentioned are general estimates of freezing rain from the sky. Actual ice accumulation on surfaces will vary depending on the surface type, and local dynamics are difficult to predict in a broad-scale forecast.
The heaviest icing is anticipated around Bancroft, Perth, Ottawa, and Cornwall, with around 5-10mm of ice accumulation possible. It's important to note that some models predict a changeover to regular rain by late morning, particularly in the southern regions, which could limit total ice accumulation.
Elsewhere in Eastern Ontario, ice accretion of 2 to 5mm is expected before transitioning to rain. While the Kingston area was severely impacted by the last event, temperatures are forecast to rise above freezing quickly enough to prevent significant icing along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
Additionally, higher elevations northwest of the Greater Toronto Area, including Orangeville and Shelburne, may experience a few millimetres of ice as the cold air persists for a longer duration.
In Central Ontario, including Muskoka, Simcoe County, and northern parts of the Greater Toronto Area, some freezing drizzle is possible, but less than 2mm of ice accumulation is expected, as the conditions should quickly change over to rain.
Also notable is that parts of Southwestern Ontario could pick up around 15-30mm of rain during the overnight and into Friday morning. The rest of Southern Ontario not seeing the freezing rain can expect 10-20mm of rain, locally up to 25mm. All precipitation will come to an end by the dinner hour.
