****0000002230**** WWCN12 CWTO 272038 FREEZING RAIN WARNING FOR NORTHERN ONTARIO ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA AT 4:38 P.M. EDT THURSDAY 27 MARCH 2025. --------------------------------------------------------------------- FREEZING RAIN WARNING FOR: =NEW= SAULT STE. MARIE - ST. JOSEPH ISLAND =NEW= SEARCHMONT - MONTREAL RIVER HARBOUR - BATCHAWANA BAY =NEW= MANITOULIN - BLIND RIVER - KILLARNEY. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ==DISCUSSION== SIGNIFICANT FREEZING RAIN AND ICE PELLETS LIKELY, WITH POTENTIAL ICE STORM CONDITIONS. WHAT: PROLONGED PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN WITH ICE ACCRETIONS OF 5 TO 15 MM. ICY AND SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. UTILITY OUTAGES AND TREE DAMAGE POSSIBLE. WHEN: BEGINNING LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING AND ENDING EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION DURING THE DAY FRIDAY, BUT SHOULD QUICKLY CHANGE OVER TO ICE PELLETS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. THE THREAT OF SEVERAL HOURS OF FREEZING RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT IS POSSIBLE, PARTICULARLY FOR MANITOULIN ISLAND AND AREAS NEAR THE NORTH CHANNEL. ONE POTENTIAL COMPLICATION IS HOW MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION FALLS IN THE FORM OF ICE PELLETS VERSUS FREEZING RAIN. IF MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION FALLS IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN, THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE A SIGNIFICANT ICE STORM FOR THE REGION. EASTERLY WINDS GUSTING UP TO 50 KM/H COULD EXACERBATE THE SITUATION IF THERE IS ICE BUILD-UP ON TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK DURING THE DAY SATURDAY, ANOTHER WINTER STORM WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE REGION ON SUNDAY WITH A THREAT OF SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL, FREEZING RAIN AND ICE PELLETS. MORE DETAILS ON PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL COME IN FUTURE UPDATES. SURFACES SUCH AS HIGHWAYS, ROADS, WALKWAYS AND PARKING LOTS WILL BECOME ICY, SLIPPERY AND HAZARDOUS. ICE BUILD-UP MAY CAUSE TREE BRANCHES TO BREAK. UTILITY OUTAGES MAY OCCUR. PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR ALERTS AND FORECASTS ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA. TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER, SEND AN EMAIL TO ONSTORM(AT)EC.GC.CA OR POST REPORTS ON X USING (HASH)ONSTORM. HTTP://WEATHER.GC.CA END/OSPC