A large amount of rain could fall on hard, frozen ground around the capital starting Tuesday evening.
Rainfall warnings for a broad swath of eastern Ontario and western Quebec bordered by Kingston, Sharbot Lake and Shawville call for up to 40 millimetres of rain by Wednesday night. Current ground conditions mean it’s unlikely all that precipitation will be absorbed.
Colder temperatures on Thursday could cause a freeze, topped by a few centimetres of snow in western Quebec.
Environment Canada says people in western Quebec should consider changing non-essential travel plans.
An Ottawa roads manager told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning on Tuesday the city will switch from managing ice to focusing on drainage.
Bryden Denyes asked residents to clear catch basins to help water drain, and to contact 311 if they need help.
South Nation Conservation, the authority for the South Nation River watershed area that includes parts of east Ottawa and communities such as Casselman, Embrun and Morrisburg, says there could be nuisance flooding in low-lying areas.
The temperature in Ottawa-Gatineau is forecast rise to 5 C Tuesday. It should stay above zero overnight and peak at 4 C Wednesday before dropping below freezing. Thursday night could drop to –12 or –13 C.
Freezing drizzle advisories have started to lift in eastern Ontario on Tuesday morning after a sloppy Monday. There’s also a morning fog advisory around Kingston and Belleville.
English and French school buses in eastern Ontario are running Tuesday in Ottawa and Renfrew County, but buses under STEO, CTSE and Tri-Board are cancelled.