2 weeks Ago By The Weather Network
Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses will spend Sunday night in the dark after a major weekend ice storm coated a large swath of Ontario. Multiple states of emergency were in effect due to the damage and power outages, including the cities of Orillia and Peterborough. Hydro One reported more than 380,000 power outages at one point on Sunday afternoon.
While conditions will improve for southern Ontario as temperatures rise, impactful wintry weather will persist through the overnight hours for northern portions of the province. PHOTOS: Ontario ice storm causes widespread damage, outages A sizable swath of southern Ontario just endured a prolonged ice storm , resulting in widespread tree and power line damage across the region. Peterborough and Trenton endured more than 30 hours of freezing rain between Friday night and Sunday.
Folks around Ottawa saw more than 13 hours of freezing rain—and that arrived after a blanket of snow earlier in the storm. The cities of Orillia and Peterborough both declared a state of emergency on Sunday morning due to widespread power outages, downed trees, and dangerous road conditions across the city from the ice storm. City officials are urging residents to stay in their homes and avoid travelling on the roads while crews work to restore power and clean up.
They are also urging for minimal water use so as to not back up the sewer systems. WATCH: Beware falling branches and power line hazards as ice lingers Click here to view the video While residents in the hardest-hit areas endure power outages and a lengthy cleanup ahead, the storm isn’t quite done with Ontario just yet. Communities north of the Great Lakes continue to deal with significant amounts of freezing rain and snow overnight into Monday.
An ongoing ice storm in northeastern Ontario between Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay will cause extensive tree damage and widespread power outages throughout the region. Some areas may see 20-30 mm of additional freezing rain through Monday—and that’s on top of what’s already fallen.
Instability pushing into northeastern Ontario could even lead to claps of thunder embedded within the freezing rain, including the city of Sudbury . North of the ice, a formidable blanket of snow has accumulated between Highway 17 and Highway 11, including the Timmins area. These regions could see an additional 20-30 cm of snow through Monday.
Wintry precipitation should ease later Monday morning as the system lifts out of the area. WATCH: Surveying the damage in Barrie after ice-coated branches knocked down Click here to view the video.
