Freezing rain makes for messy commute in eastern Ontario, southern Quebec

Tuesday, December 16, 2014, 7:33 AM - Freezing rain warnings have been issued for eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, bringing a slippery drive in.

The warnings were issued Tuesday and have remained active in to the Wednesday morning commute. Areas affected by the precipitation include The City of Ottawa, Gatineau and the Cornwall - Morrisburg regions.

Visit the Quebec and Ontario alerts pages for up-to-date watches and warnings.

For southern Quebec, the system will bring intermittent freezing rain in the metro Montreal and Laval area, and extend to Trois-Rivieres.

Conditions will make for a tricky drive in the morning hours.  Roads, parking lots and sidewalks could become very slippery.

The Sir Wilfred Laurier School Board announced the closure of some schools north of Montreal Tuesday evening.

"This looks like a marginal freezing rain event," says Weather Network meteorologist Dayna Vettese.

"Expect light accumulations and off and on throughout the night. This could have some impact on the morning commutes in terms of icy roads and sidewalks -- but that will depend on how well the roads are treated."

Freezing rain will give way to rain later in the day as temperatures rise, followed by light snow for the evening and overnight.  

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority have cancelled all school buses for Thursday morning, though schools remain open.

Patchy freezing rain is expected to continue throughout the morning for the Ottawa area and areas near the St. Lawrence River.  

A messy mix of freezing rain and snow will transition to snow for all regions as temperatures drop this afternoon.