Environment Canada issues special weather statement for heavy snow in Ottawa on first day of spring

CTV’s Jackie Perez shares the full local 6 p.m. forecast for Thursday, March 19, 2026.

It will be a snowy start to spring in Ottawa, with up to 10 centimetres expected on Friday.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Ottawa, calling for 5 to 10 centimetres of snow on the first day of spring, with peak snowfall rates of 2 to 3 centiemtres an hour.

“The heaviest snow is expected to fall Friday morning. There may be an impact on rush hour traffic,” the weather agency said in a statement. “Roads and walkways may be difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.”

The snow is expected to begin around 7 a.m. and continue until at least 5 p.m., with a 40 per cent chance of flurries Friday evening.

Spring officially arrives at 10:46 a.m. on Friday.

Forecast

It will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of flurries this evening. Clearing late this evening. Low -5 C.

Environment Canada says it will become cloudy Friday morning and then snow beginning. Ottawa could see 5 to 10 centimetres of snow. High -2 C.

The forecast calls for a mainly cloudy day on Saturday. High 4 C.

The outlook for Sunday calls for periods of snow or rain. High 2 C.

Monday will be cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of flurries. High 0 C.

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