Some Canadians might be ringing in the new year with snow on the ground, as parts of the country are set to see freezing rain, blowing snow and strong winds.
Environment Canada has issued numerous yellow and orange warnings stretching from eastern Ontario to the Maritimes.
For Ontarians, this means a mix of wet conditions ranging from freezing rain in Ottawa to heavy snow. Some locations, like Timmins and communities along Lake Superior, could see between 40 to 60 centimetres, while others, like Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, could see lower amounts of 20 to 40 cm.
Snow squall warnings are also in place for parts of southern Ontario, with cities like London, Barrie and Owen Sound forecast to get between 25 and 50 cm depending on the location. Other communities, including Toronto and Windsor, are set to see strong winds, with warnings of up to 90 kilometres per hour.
Most of the conditions facing Ontario are expected to continue overnight and likely ease by Tuesday.
Some delays and cancellations have been reported at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Billy Bishop Airport, with some airlines including Air Canada asking people to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
As of late Monday afternoon, more than 45,000 Ontarians remain without power as the storm that started Sunday continues to move through the province, according to Hydro One.
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The province’s largest electric utility says they’ve restored power to tens of thousands of customers so far, but difficult road conditions are delaying crew access to other customers.
Next door in Quebec, it’s a mixture of freezing rain and winter storm warnings.
Some locations, like Baie-Comeau, Quebec City and Le Bic-Rimouski, are expected to see snowfall amounts ranging from 20 to 40 cm. There are also warnings for Tuesday that winds of up to 80 km/h could create widespread blowing snow.
If it’s not snow, it’s freezing rain, with Montreal, Sherbrooke and the Laurentians all expected to see five to 15 millimetres of ice buildup.
Those facing freezing rain are also under wind warnings, with gusts of up to 90 km/h possible.
With freezing rain already falling, a Montreal-area ambulance service, Urgences-sante, says it’s receiving mroe than 100 calls to 911 per hour, with most related to people who have fallen and hurt themselves.
Montreal’s Pierre Trudeau International Airport has also seen its share of delays and cancellations, especially those flights originally scheduled around midday.
Much of the Maritimes might escape the snow, but Environment Canada says those hoping for a dry week are out of luck with freezing rain warnings across all three provinces.
Northern New Brunswick is expected to receive about five to 10 mm, while central and southern New Brunswick and all of Nova Scotia will see four to eight millimetres. Prince Edward Island is also forecast to receive two to four millimetres.
Environment Canada says the freezing rain will change to rain as it moves west to east and as temperatures rise.
Newfoundland and Labrador could also see some wet and windy weather, with freezing rain warnings in place for the Bonavista Peninsula, Terra Nova and Clarenville area and up to 15 mm expected.
Meanwhile, Bay St. George, Cornerbrook and Channel-Port aux Basques are under wind warnings with wind gusts of up to 80 km/h expected, though they could reach 100 to 120 km/h in areas prone to southeasterlies.
Those living in Labrador City and Wabush could see 15 to 20 cm of snow between Tuesday morning and evening.
—with files from The Canadian Press
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