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Widespread freezing rain headed for southern Quebec, Environment Canada says

Widespread freezing rain headed for southern Quebec, Environment Canada says

Residents in southern Quebec could wake up to an icy mess on Friday morning.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement, saying a low pressure system from the Gulf of Mexico will head this way Thursday night — bringing with it "favourable conditions" for "significant" amounts freezing rain.

With the exception of the extreme northwest, all of Quebec will experience periods of freezing rain, according to Alexandre Parent, an Environment Canada meteorologist.

As much as 10 to 20 millimetres of freezing rain could fall, he said, leading to as much as two centimetres of ice build up.

The freezing rain should hit the southwestern parts of the province at around midnight before spreading to central and eastern Quebec on Friday.

"The Friday morning commute might be quite difficult from the Ottawa Valley to Montreal," said Parent, recommending people watch for weather warnings and reports.

"As we get closer to the event, we might be able to specify region and maybe specify the timing for the end of the freezing rain"

The freezing rain is expected to turn into heavy rain later in the day.

Areas just north of the St. Lawrence River will be the most affected by the precipitation, the weather agency says.