Ottawa is digging out from one of its most disruptive snowfalls of the season, with snow-clogged streets, collisions and transit delays compounding frustration for residents as another round of wintry weather looms in the forecast. After a powerful system dumped 20 to 35 centimeters of snow across the capital region on Thursday, January 15, city crews and commuters spent Friday battling packed snow, drifting and bitter wind chills, all while Environment Canada warned that additional snow could add to the chaos in the days ahead.

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Storm Slams the Capital With Up to 35 Centimeters of Snow

The latest storm swept into Ottawa late Wednesday, January 14, as temperatures plunged and strong winds kicked up ahead of a vigorous low-pressure system tracking across southern Ontario. Environment Canada upgraded its special weather statement to a snowfall warning, projecting 15 to 25 centimeters of snow for the urban core and as much as 35 centimeters for communities in and around the Ottawa Valley, including Ardoch, Perth and Renfrew.

By Thursday, January 15, the storm had intensified, coating the city in heavy, persistent snow and dramatically reducing visibility during the morning commute. Photos from across the region showed vehicles creeping along Highway 7 and other key routes on rutted, snow-covered pavement, while pedestrians trudged through knee-deep drifts at major intersections like Bank Street near Greenboro station. The storm struck after an unusually mild spell, amplifying the impact of a rapid freeze on roads, sidewalks and overpasses.

Environment Canada placed Ottawa under an orange-level warning on its three-tier alert scale, a classification that signals a high likelihood of significant impacts. For much of eastern Ontario, snowfall totals between 15 and 25 centimeters were forecast, with 10 to 20 centimeters expected across western Quebec. The heaviest bands swept across the metropolitan area during the busiest travel hours, leaving many drivers and transit users stranded or severely delayed.

Roads Choked, Collisions Mount as City Activates Winter Parking Ban

The heavy snow and sudden temperature drop quickly translated into treacherous driving conditions across Ottawa and the broader region. Ontario Provincial Police reported responding to nearly a dozen collisions in eastern Ontario by early Thursday morning, most classified as minor but enough to snarl traffic on key commuter routes. Officers urged residents to stay off the roads unless travel was essential, warning that even modest accumulation was being whipped into deep drifts on exposed stretches.

Inside the city, residential streets, collectors and some arterials became difficult to navigate as snow piled up faster than it could be cleared. Blowing and drifting reduced visibility to near whiteout at times, particularly in open suburban and rural areas on the city’s outskirts. Vehicles struggled to climb hills or turn safely at intersections where compacted snow and ice left surfaces polished and slick.

In response, the City of Ottawa activated an overnight winter parking ban from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to give plows, graders and salt trucks room to work. Officials said all available crews had been deployed to priority routes, including major roads, bus corridors, the Transitway, and heavily used sidewalks and cycling lanes. Residents were urged to move vehicles off the street and to delay non-essential travel while cleanup operations continued into Friday, January 16.

Transit Riders Face Detours and Delays Amid Snow and Ongoing Service Strains

The storm landed at a particularly sensitive moment for OC Transpo, which is still grappling with the aftermath of a severe bus service crunch earlier in January that saw hundreds of trips cancelled in a single day. The combination of a large snowfall and an already stretched bus fleet produced a difficult day for transit riders, many of whom reported long waits, crowded buses and confusing detours.

Multiple routes were affected as city crews tried to keep priority corridors and heavily used neighborhood streets passable. Detours were implemented on key lines such as routes serving Montreal Road, Woodroffe Avenue and Lowertown, with several stops temporarily out of service because of snowbanks and narrowed roadways. Riders were advised to build in an extra 15 to 30 minutes for their trips, check real-time alerts and consider alternative stops or routes where possible.

O-Train Lines 1, 2 and 4, which recently expanded to six days of service, continued to operate on normal weekday schedules, providing some stability for commuters traveling along rail corridors. Nonetheless, access to stations, park-and-ride lots and connecting bus stops was occasionally impeded by deep snow and icy walkways, underscoring the knock-on effects of a large storm on the broader mobility network.

Schools, Flights and Daily Life Disrupted by Winter Blast

Across the capital region, the snowfall transformed the daily routine. School bus services in and around Ottawa were heavily affected, with widespread cancellations reported as operators weighed the hazards of slick rural roads and reduced visibility. While most city schools remained open, attendance was spotty in some areas as parents opted to keep children home or struggled to dig out driveways and walkways in time for the morning bell.

At Ottawa’s international airport, ground crews worked steadily to clear runways, taxiways and aprons as the snow accumulated. Similar storms elsewhere in southern Ontario, particularly in Toronto, prompted flight delays and cancellations, and Ottawa-bound passengers were advised to check their flight status before leaving home. Although the capital’s airport escaped the worst of the aviation disruption, de-icing operations and visibility restrictions slowed some arrivals and departures.

For residents, the storm meant an abrupt return to the realities of a continental winter after a period of unseasonably mild weather. Sidewalks that had briefly turned slushy and bare were again lined with towering snowbanks, and the sound of snowblowers and shovels echoed through neighborhoods late into the evening. Many households faced the familiar challenge of repeatedly clearing driveways as city plows made multiple passes, pushing back the encroaching piles.

Cleanup Challenges: Crews Race Against Time and Temperature

By Friday morning, January 16, Ottawa’s snow removal apparatus was in full swing, racing not only to widen lanes and reopen buried sidewalks, but also to prevent the freshly fallen snow from consolidating into rock-hard ridges as temperatures remained well below freezing. The city’s standard approach prioritizes main arterials, transit routes and emergency corridors before moving into residential streets, a triage system that often leaves some neighborhoods waiting hours, or even a full day, for a first pass.

The volume of snow, combined with earlier January accumulations, created logistical hurdles for where to put it all. Snowbanks along key roads encroached on traffic lanes, reduced sightlines at intersections and blocked on-street parking zones, making it harder for delivery vehicles, emergency responders and cyclists to navigate safely. In some districts, snow removal rather than simple plowing was needed, requiring trucks and loaders to haul snow away to dedicated dump sites.

City officials urged patience while stressing that crews were working around the clock. The winter parking ban was extended through at least one more overnight period to maintain access for plows, and enforcement teams patrolled streets ticketing vehicles that remained on the roadway despite warnings. Residents were encouraged to help by clearing catch basins near their homes to reduce the risk of localized flooding in case of a later thaw, and by keeping fire hydrants visible and accessible.

More Snow on the Way as Pattern Stays Unsettled

As Ottawa labored to dig out, meteorologists cautioned that the city was not yet finished with this active winter pattern. Snowfall earlier in the month, including up to 20 centimeters recorded around January 10 under a separate system, had already laid down a substantial base. Forecasts heading into the weekend suggested the possibility of additional light to moderate snow and flurries, keeping roads and sidewalks slick and complicating efforts to fully recover from the latest major storm.

Environment Canada’s outlook for eastern Ontario indicated that a series of weaker disturbances could ripple through the region, bringing intermittent snow and reinforcing the deep cold entrenched over the area. While none of the upcoming systems were expected to match Thursday’s 20 to 35 centimeter onslaught in intensity, even a few more centimeters of accumulation would be enough to refresh icy surfaces and further strain road maintenance and transit operations.

The risk of blowing and drifting snow remained elevated, especially outside the urban core, as gusty winds continued to funnel across open fields and parkland. Drivers were advised to remain cautious on highways and rural routes where seemingly clear stretches could quickly give way to sudden whiteouts or deep drifts in sheltered cuttings and embankments.

Residents Adapt, But Fatigue Grows After Repeated Storms

For longtime residents of Ottawa, a city known for its long, snowy winters, the latest storm is hardly unprecedented. Historical climate data show that the capital typically receives well over two meters of snow in an average winter, spread across numerous events from November through April. Still, the rapid-fire sequence of notable systems this January, coupled with busy work and school schedules, is testing patience and resilience.

Homeowners reported spending hours on snow removal over successive weekends, navigating frozen windrows at the ends of driveways and carefully salting steps to prevent slips. For seniors and people with mobility challenges, the combination of high snowbanks and narrowed, uneven sidewalks has made simple errands far more complicated, risking increased social isolation when conditions turn severe.

Local businesses, particularly smaller shops and restaurants in neighborhoods reliant on foot traffic, felt the effect as well. On the storm’s peak day, some storefronts remained shuttered or opened late, while others saw a sharp drop in customers as residents chose to stay home. Those who did venture out often gravitated toward establishments within easy walking distance, highlighting how quickly weather can reshape commerce in a winter city.

City Weighs Long-Term Lessons as Winter Intensifies

The latest storm and its messy aftermath are also reigniting conversations about how Ottawa prepares for and manages increasingly variable winter weather. Municipal planners and transportation officials have been reviewing snow-clearing strategies, parking policies and transit resilience after a series of challenging seasons that have mixed periods of intense snowfall with sudden thaws and freezing rain.

On the transit front, the convergence of a major storm with ongoing fleet and staffing issues at OC Transpo has sharpened questions about how to ensure reliable service during extreme weather. Previous winters saw the introduction of a severe storm schedule for buses during very heavy snow events, a tool that may be revisited if similar systems threaten the city later this season. At the same time, the expansion of O-Train service and improvements in real-time information are central to efforts to keep commuters moving when roads deteriorate.

Urban planners and climate analysts note that Ottawa’s experience reflects broader trends across Canada, where cities are adapting infrastructure, emergency management and public communication strategies to handle more frequent and intense winter storms. For now, however, the focus in the capital is squarely on the immediate task at hand: clearing the latest blanket of snow and bracing for whatever the next system will bring.