Significant ice build-up in Wednesday’s forecast

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Impacts of freezing rain in Waterloo Region

What can people in Waterloo Region expect as freezing rain is on the way?

First Forecast: Freezing rain warning

The wicked winter weather will return on Wednesday.

Environment Canada is predicting several hours of freezing rain in Waterloo Region, Guelph, Erin, Stratford, St. Marys, Mitchell, North Perth, Elora, Mount Forest and all areas to the west.

It is expected to begin late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

“[The] freezing rain should taper off later Wednesday afternoon or evening, and in some areas may change to snow before ending,” the alert said.

The agency also warned of “significant” ice build-up.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, they were predicting 5 to 10 mm, though up to 15 mm is possible.

“The most hazardous conditions are expected over areas of higher elevation,” the alert read. “Areas closer to Lake Huron may be less affected with temperatures likely rising above the freezing mark. Roads and walkways will likely become icy and slippery. There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic.”

Brantford, Hamilton, Woodstock and Ingersoll could get between 4 to 8 mm of ice accretion, while surrounding areas get 10 to 25 mm of rain and 2 to 5 mm of ice.

With wind gusts expected to hit 60 km/h on Wednesday, power outages and tree damage are a possibility.

Protecting your home

People who specialize in home protection say they’re anticipating busy days ahead following the storm.

“We’re going to get some ice on the ground and then that water’s going to have no place to go,” said Wesley Rose, owner of The Crack Specialist.

Following a storm in late December, Rose said his company received roughly 1,200 calls. Most of them pertaining to window well malfunctions.

“If there’s debris in them, they fill up with water, then it fills up like a fish bowl and comes in right through the windows,” Rose explained.

Tuesday’s warmth continued to melt snow, though for now, weather experts said the thaw is happening at a manageable rate.

“As far as significant snowmelt is concerned, it should be gradual for the most part, but we are monitoring the situation,” said Eric Tomlinson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

He added that, so far, February has been a relatively dry and cold month with little precipitation, but that will likely change with the incoming storm.

“We’re talking about significant precipitation and following the system, we’re potentially going to have a second system arriving on Friday,” added Tomlinson.

To try and prevent having to call an emergency plumber due to flooding, experts are advising homeowners test their sump pumps and ensure all eavestroughs and downspouts are clear.