SNOW in Ontario

Wet roads may have caused this serious accident this morning near Burritts Rapids.
Photos C. Hofley

The first snowflakes of 2008 are expected to fly across parts of Ontario today and tonight. Deepening low pressure near Brockville this morning will slide into New York Sate and across New England tonight and into early Wednesday. Steady rain has been falling in Kemptville since the wee hours of the morning and is expected to continue most of the day. It will mix with and gradually change to light wet snow from west to east as the day moves along. Look for little accumulation in the big centres but as much as 5cm in the hilly rural regions south and east of Ottawa and into southern Quebec, and also in the upper Ottawa Valley from Renfrew west.

A quick glance of the regional observations at noon is showing dropping temperatures on stiff north winds this afternoon. Temperatures are down below freezing in North Bay with light snow. In the south Peterborough is 1C while Toronto is only 4C. Winds are expected to increase in all areas 40-60km/h out of the north this afternoon. They are blowing at 61km/h at Cobourg.

Drive with great caution as roads are slick from the rain and wet leaves, and may become slippery anywhere snow falls. Already today KFD and Ottawa Fire were called to a serious accident (at right) on Donnally Drive and Dwyer Hill Road where a car left the highway and struck a hydro pole before landing on its roof. Slow down as the weather begins to turn.