Freezing rain!!!

Most conversations about weather go like this, “it is sunny” or “it is cloudy” or “it is raining”. But how often to you talk about freezing rain? Not often! Freezing rain is fairly rare but it does seem to happen once or twice a year in my part of Canada. When the temperature is around zero and it is raining the conditions are ripe for everything to be covered in ice.

When this happens roads can become dangerously slippery and it can affect the delivery of electricity to homes. Tree branches become so heavy with ice that they sometimes snap off and even damage electrical lines.

This is what happened at the end of March in 2o25. Many homes were without power for almost 24 hours and the trees took a beating!

Freezing rain causes damage to a tree in Centennial Park, Barrie Ontario

In these weather conditions it is important to avoid driving if the roads have been affected. The streets in my neighbourhood, fortunately were not very slippery. Driving around the city was still complicated however. Many of the traffic lights were not working and so at every intersection each driver had to stop and proceed in the order they arrived.

Some roads were closed because large trees or branches had fallen across road. One particularly large branch fell overnight on our street. The next day, city workers quickly went to work clearing the debris. It was impressive to see.

In spite of all the negatives due to the ice storm, it brought people outdoors. Neighbors were talking to each other and sometimes help one another. It was good to see. Indeed, you can always find a silver lining!