The snow is melting off roads and sidewalks across Ottawa Monday afternoon, after a spring snowstorm slowed down traffic during the morning commute.
Several collisions on city streets, Highway 174 and Highway 417 snarled traffic between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., including a crash that temporarily closed all westbound lanes of Highway 417 at Richmond Road and Bayshore Drive for approximately 30 minutes.
A spokesperson for the Ottawa Paramedic Service said more than five vehicles were involved in a collision at the Bayshore Drive exit along the westbound lanes of Hwy. 417. The Ministry of Transportation cameras showed several vehicles in the median along the highway ramp. Two people were transported to hospital in stable condition.
Environment Canada says 1-2 cm of snow fell across the city. There is a chance of rain this afternoon as temperatures rise to 7 C by this evening.
Ontario Provincial Police say officers responded to 53 collisions on Ottawa highways between 5 a.m. and 12 p.m., but no serious injuries were reported.
The Ottawa Fire Services says firefighters responded to 25 collisions between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., including a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Old Richmond Road and Stonehaven Drive with “multiple trapped occupants.”
Spokesperson Nick Defazio said both vehicles ended up in the ditch, and the drivers in both vehicles needed to be extricated.
“Firefighters stabilized the vehicles and began using specialized tools to extricate the trapped occupants,” Defazio said.
School buses are running for Ottawa’s schools today, but the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority warns some buses may be delayed due to the snow. Bus delays of 10 to 30 minutes were reported.
Environment Canada’s forecast calls for a mainly cloudy afternoon with a chance of showers or flurries this afternoon. There is a chance of freezing rain. High 8 C.
Cloudy tonight with a chance of showers or flurries. Low -1 C.
Tuesday will be cloudy with a 40 per cent chance of flurries changing to a 30 per cent chance of rain. High 4 C.
Wednesday will be cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries. High 1 C.
The outlook for Thursday calls for a mix of sun and cloud. High 4 C.
Friday will see a mix of sun and cloud. High 4 C.
The normal temperatures for this time of year are a high of 5 C and a low of -4 C.
Normal temperatures for the next four weeks
Ottawa and eastern Ontario will see normal temperatures for the next four weeks.
Environment Canada’s monthly temperature forecast calls for seasonal temperatures through the end of March and start of April.
