An unseasonable overnight warm front, mixed with 9 mm of rain, has left city streets messy.
Roads across Ottawa are slushy and slippery. Puddles have been reported on roadways across the city. Some span entire lanes or even entire streets.
Sidewalks across the city are icy.
The poor conditions forced the cancellation of school buses around the region.
To add to the trouble, a driver hit a fire hydrant on Bronson Ave. early Tuesday morning, flooding the street, causing Ottawa Police to close Bronson between Fourth Ave. and Colonel By. The RCMP has also closed Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Preston St. and Bronson due to the overflow of water.
An overnight hydro pole fire also caused problems around Terry Fox Dr., briefly closing lanes of the 417 and forcing Hydro Ottawa to briefly shut off power to about 2800 customers.
The concern for many is the forecast, which includes a mid-day freeze. Temperatures are expected to plunge to -9°C by the afternoon.
Ottawa Roads Manager Luc Gagne tells Newstalk 580 CFRA's The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll the standing water is the main issue.
"It's everywhere. It's not just picking one location, it's on all the streets," he says.
Gagne says crews will be out clearing catch basins across the city, which typically become clogged by snow or slush.
But he adds citizens can help out, too.
“If residents can safely clear a catch basin in their neighbourhood, that helps things,” Gagne says.