“The ice will accumulate on everything. Trees power lines, highways, driveways, sidewalks, everything. And with perhaps 10 millimetres or more of ice accreting on things, that’s gonna cause trees and power lines to come down so there will be some power outages along with difficult travel conditions.”
McKinley expects the storm to hit hard.
Audio Player“And, I hate to say this but I do think this has the potential to be an ice storm of historic proportions across the area so folks really should take some preparations today. Be prepared for no travel over the weekend and the possibility of some extended power outages in some areas, especially away from the lake where it will probably be just a little bit colder.”
Major ice storm this weekend.
What: Prolonged period of freezing rain. Significant ice accretion. General ice accretion amounts of 5 to 15 mm, with amounts in excess of 20 mm possible. Widespread power outages. Icy and slippery conditions.
When: Friday evening into Sunday afternoon. Additional Information: The area will receive significant freezing rain over the upcoming weekend. Precipitation may begin as rain before changing over to freezing rain Friday evening. Freezing rain may become lighter for a brief period of time for some areas on Saturday. Some areas may see a brief break or weakening of the freezing rain on Saturday.
Areas near Lake Ontario may see lesser amounts of ice if temperatures moderate and precipitation falls as rain. Ice build-up may cause tree branches to break. Take extra care when walking or driving in affected areas. Consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
