Snowstorm packing up to 30 cm to continue into weekend

A snowstorm dropping between 20 and 30 centimetres of occasionally heavy snow to the Ottawa-Gatineau area will continue through Saturday morning.

Environment Canada has now upgraded several special weather statements issued earlier to snowfall warnings.

The storm is expected to drop one to two centimetres of snow per hour on the capital region, according to forecasters.

All that snow could affect travel throughout Saturday in an area that includes central Ottawa, Kanata, Orléans, Richmond and Metcalfe.

Up to 30 centimetres of snow is expected to fall on the capital, as well as Brockville, Cornwall, Lanark County and Prescott and Russell. Up to 25 centimetres of snow is expected in other areas covered by the snowfall warnings.

The City of Ottawa says snow is expected to be heavy and wet. The city is going to focus its snow-clearing efforts on priority roads and paths Friday, and has called a winter parking ban from 7 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.

Kingston has a parking ban from 1 to 7 a.m.

The exceptions to the warnings are Renfrew County, the Pontiac and the Bancroft areas, which still have special weather statements about the four to 10 centimetres of snow expected there.

Environment Canada meteorologists said earlier in the week that working from home would be ideal if possible, but also that this Colorado low type of storm is normal for local winters.

Ottawa's forecasted highs through Monday are all around 0 C as a warmer autumn draws to a close. Winter begins on Wednesday.