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Freezing rain warnings issued across southern Ontario

Click to play video: 'GTA could be hit by potential ice storm'
GTA could be hit by potential ice storm
WATCH ABOVE: Temperatures continue to fall as a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow will hit the GTA lasting from Wednesday night through to Thursday night. – Mar 23, 2016

Freezing rain warnings have been issued across most of southern Ontario including Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

A Colorado Low — laden with moisture — is moving into the region and is expected to reach southern Ontario by Wednesday afternoon.

With temperatures hovering near the freezing mark, the precipitation is expected to fall as rain or freezing rain overnight and into Thursday morning, creating a possibly treacherous commute.

“Confidence grows for a significant ice storm somewhere around the [Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas] starting tonight, lasting through much of the day Thursday,” said Global’s chief meteorologist, Anthony Farnell. “The Niagara escarpment towards Waterloo and Guelph could be hardest hit with another bulls-eye around Peterborough.
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“Locally 2 cm of freezing rain is expected which is enough to cause major power outages from tree limb loss.”

Farnell said that the ice and winds — which could gust up to 60 km/h — combined could bring down trees, leaving many in the dark.

WATCH: The city says it’s prepared for freezing rain set to arrive tonight. But with gusty winds and heavy ice, Toronto Hydro is predicting some power outages. Ashley Carter brings you Hydro’s tips on what to do if the power goes out.
Click to play video: 'Toronto prepares for ice storm'
Toronto prepares for ice storm

“For the downtown core and lakeshore communities, freezing rain will mix with rain as the temperature hovers around the freezing point,” said Farnell. “The impact will be less in these areas but icy untreated roads are still expected tomorrow morning.”

The public is being warned of slippery conditions which may cause significant impact on transportation. There may also be power outages.

Motorists are being asked to adjust their driving with the changing road conditions.

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Air travellers are advised to check their flight status ahead of time.

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