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Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning and a special weather statement for strong winds in parts of eastern Ontario Sunday.
The yellow-level warning was issued around 5 a.m. and covers the regions around Belleville, Barry’s Bay, Bancroft, and the Laurentian Valley. The national weather agency warns they could receive up to 20 centimetres of snow.
Kingston, Belleville and Greater Napanee are under the special weather statement for strong winds with gusts that could reach 80 kilometres per hour.
The snow and wind should both ease this evening but, until then, the agency warned that travel will likely be challenging.
Ottawa was not under a warning as of 1:30 p.m., but the agency says the city still could be hit with 10 centimetres of snow on Sunday.
New weather alert system
Environment Canada is using a new weather alert system that follows updates made to weather agencies across Europe to align with recommendations from the World Meteorological Association.
The agency has eliminated watches and issues weather warnings in three colours: yellow, orange and red.
Yellow warnings are the least severe; issued for hazardous or dangerous conditions, or conditions with health-related impacts. Orange warnings are for storms likely to cause widespread or very significant damage. Red warnings are for dangerous, potentially life-threatening weather likely to cause prolonged disruptions.
