About 20 cm of snow has already fallen and up to 20 cm more is on the way as a blizzard blankets the city.
The capital remains gripped in the biggest snowstorm of the winter as it heads into its second half Thursday, with another 20 cm of snow expected by the afternoon.
Heavy snow is expected to continue Thursday morning with moderate winds creating blowing snow, especially in the Ottawa River Valley.
School buses are cancelled in Ottawa and surrounding regions, but there are no reports of school closings in Ottawa.
Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB) schools and work sites were closed Thursday.
By about 8 a.m., all but a handful of departures and arrivals at the Ottawa international airport were cancelled or delayed. Travellers should check ahead for the status of their flights.
Morning traffic was noticeably quiet early Thursday, with some minor crashes. Drivers have been urged to avoid travelling if possible.
Environment Canada says up to 20 cm of snow has already fallen in the capital and another 10-20 cm is expected before the storm leaves sometime Thursday afternoon.
Officials continued to urge patience and caution on the roads as heavy, blowing snow hampers both visibility and traction.
A parking ban is in effect from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, and from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. “Though eligible parking permit holders are exempt, we encourage those who can, please try to find alternate parking during this time to prevent your vehicle from being snowed in,” the city cautioned. Information on winter parking ban options is available at Ottawa.ca/winterparking.
For more information on parking rules and other snowstorm measures for the city go to: https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/roads-sidewalks-and-pathways/snow-plowing-and-clearing
In a report to city council, transit general manager Renee Amilcar said the storm and winds “made this morning’s conditions challenging.”
O-Train Line 1 began at 5 a.m., but service was affected by snow accumulation and blowing snow on the tracks, particularly between Tremblay and Hurdman stations.
As of 9 a.m., Line 1 is operating between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair stations, but trains will run on one track between uOttawa and St-Laurent stations. R1 bus service is providing supplemental service from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair to help keep customers moving
Meanwhile, Line 2 and 4 started on time but snow accumulation at some switches required trains to use a diversion early this morning, which resulted in delays for customers.
“For the first time, we implemented the Severe Storm Schedule for bus service,” Amilcar wrote.
“We are monitoring bus operations closely and are seeing effective results so far in keeping the bus network moving in poor conditions.”
