Winter storm to bring 5-10 cm of snow to Ottawa today

Snow begins to fall in downtown Ottawa Thursday morning. Environment Canada says Ottawa will see 5-10 cm of snow. (Westin Camera)

Motorists are being warned to expect some delays while travelling across Ottawa today, as another blast of snowy weather hits the national capital region.

Snow began falling just before 10 a.m., with up to 10 centimetres of snow expected through the day.

Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for Ottawa, calling for snow to continue through the afternoon and early evening. The snow is expected to continue until 6 p.m.

“Conditions are expected to improve this evening,” Environment Canada said.

“Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.”

The City of Ottawa says its fleet of snowplows is ready once the snow starts to fall.

“Once accumulation begins, crews will be deployed to clear and treat sidewalks, priority roads, bus routes, the Transitway and the winter cycling network,” the city said. “The nightshift will pick up where the dayshift leaves off to continue winter operations overnight.”

The forecast calls for snow to begin this morning, with the risk of freezing drizzle this afternoon. Ottawa could receive 5 to 10 cm of snow today. High -7 C.

Snow ending this evening then mainly cloudy with a few flurries beginning near midnight. Two centimetres of snow expected tonight. Temperature rising to -3 C this evening then falling.

Friday will see a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 per cent chance of flurries. High -4 C.

Saturday will see sunshine. High -5 C.

Environment Canada is calling for snow Saturday night, with periods of snow continuing on Sunday.

The normal temperatures for this time of year are a high of -5 C and a low of -14 C.