Environment Canada warns of possible spring ice storm

Although spring officially arrived last week, the weather hasn’t quite caught up yet, and this weekend may be very messy indeed.

Environment Canada has been updating a Special Weather Statement for most of the southern areas of Ontario, warning of a possible spring ice storm. The entire north shore of Lake Ontario — including the Quinte, Lanark and Leeds and Grenville areas — is covered by this advisory, and it extends well past Ontario’s eastern border.

In the statement, the national weather agency said that significant ice accretion is expected from freezing rain. Ice accretion amounts (the amount that will build up on surfaces) of 5 to 15 mm are expected, with amounts in excess of 20 mm possible. The current timeline for the storm is late Friday through Monday (Mar. 28 to 31, 2025)

“Confidence is increasing in a widespread, prolonged freezing rain event over portions of southern Ontario. The swath of maximum ice accretion is still uncertain at this point, but confidence is highest for areas of central and eastern Ontario between Parry Sound and Kingston. Warnings will be issued as the event draws nearer,” Environment Canada detailed.

“A break in the freezing rain is expected for most areas late in the day on Saturday into Saturday night before a second round of freezing rain begins.”

The agency also mentioned the possibility of utility outages, broken tree branches, and slippery surfaces.