From major melt to flash freeze, Ottawa had a freaky Friday
Ottawa and eastern Ontario see all kinds of weather, but usually not on the same day.
But it's been that kind of Friday. At 9 a.m. the temperature was 12 C and it was raining. Much of the snow built up from a deep freeze winter had been melting, forming puddles on roads and leading to falling ice and snow from roofs.
Then, around noon, the temperature began to plummet.
By 1 p.m. it was 4 C. By 4 p.m. it was –3 C and freezing rain was falling.
Ottawa Police reported 20 collisions in the afternoon, including seven "fender-benders" in parking lots.
Then the snow started to fall. By 8:30 p.m., the temperature had dropped to –11 C, with a windchill that made it feel like minus 21.
The temperature was expected to drop to –15 C overnight.