Record-breaking rain soaks Ottawa

Record setting rain in Ottawa Heavy rain floods roads and has nursey owner thinking about an early season of growth. CTV’s Tyler Fleming reports.

OTTAWA — Record-breaking rain soaked Ottawa on Friday, and more rain is in the forecast through the weekend.

Friday's official rainfall total at the Ottawa Airport was 30.9 mm, setting a record for rainiest March 26 in Ottawa history. The previous record was 13.2 mm, set back in 1953.

A special weather statement was issued for Ottawa on Friday, calling for 20 to 40 mm of rain.

The forecast calls for a mostly cloudy night. A low of -1 C.

Saturday will be a mix of sun and clouds, a high of 11C, chance of showers later in the day.

Sunday will be much like today, rainy and cloudy, a high of 9C.

The normal temperatures for this time of year are a high of 6C, and a low of -4C.

March showers bring May flowers?

While the rain is helping to melt away the last of the snow, gardening experts say it's too soon to begin planting your garden.

"Seems like we're about three weeks ahead of schedule," said Kennedy Johnston, owner of Peter Knipple Nursery.

Johnston says start planning to plant the May long weekend.

"But as long as we're not going to have frost, you could theoretically plant."

While you wait for the arrival of gardening season, Johnston says you can get seeds growing in your home for now.

"Once you can work the ground though, you can plant or you can move plants if you need to. Things that are dormant, so plants that haven’t started to bud-out yet," says Johnston. "Typically the big planting weekend is the May long weekend, so we are still almost two months out from that."