The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) has issued a flood watch ahead of nasty weather expected to hit the Waterloo Region and Guelph area over the weekend.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the area calling for freezing rain, rain and strong winds Saturday into Sunday.
It says the warm temperature on Friday will head back below the freezing mark on Saturday, turning the rain into freezing rain.
The statement says we could see up to 25 millimetres of rain over the weekend.
The rainfall and melted snow cannot go into the ground with saturated or frozen ground conditions in the area so it will head toward rivers and streams, the GRCA’s flood watch warns.
It says that flooding is expected in low-lying areas, although with little ice cover there is a low risk of ice jam flooding.
On Sunday, the area is expected to experience winds of up to 70 km/h, according to Environment Canada.
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It says the combination of high winds and icy buildup on tree branches and power lines could create power outages in some areas.
The GRCA says its major reservoirs at Belwood, Conestogo, Guelph, Luther, Woolwich, Laurel and Shade’s Mills will be used to manage runoff from this event and reduce flooding downstream.
It is asking the public to use extreme caution around all water bodies with nearby banks being extremely slippery which will pose a serious hazard.
The public is also asked to keep kids and dogs away from these areas.
Environment Canada is also saying that travelling through Southern Ontario could be challenging on Saturday into Sunday.
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