London will be spared the worst of a massive storm packing freezing rain and ice pellets that has prompted special weather statements northeast of the city.
According to Environment Canada, wet weather that moved into the region early Thursday will continue for the next five days. The slow-moving, low-pressure system is expected to dump nearly half of the month's average rainfall late Saturday into Sunday.
"We don't think London will be in the heaviest part but still it is quite possible to see some 25-30 mm of rain over the weekend by the time it is all said and done," said Etienne Gregoire, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.
The second wave of the system will develop near Texas, pushing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. As that moisture moves into the province Saturday it will draw in cold air from northern Ontario creating a significant risk of freezing rain.
"This storm is massive, it is intense, it is going to cover all of the Great Lakes basin, everybody is going to get a piece of it," said Gregoire. "London so far will get off easy, with just the liquid form. The threat of freezing rain is much lower, no threat of snow - that is further north. So we are getting off easy but stay tuned because this is a really complex storm and if it moves a little bit to the west then London may have an issue."
Oxford, Huron, and Perth counties are among those that have been issued a special weather statement for the weekend that warns of the potential for heavy rain and an ice storm.
"Ice accumulations in excess of 20 mm will be possible in some places. Ice accumulations of this magnitude combined with gusty northeast winds may result in widespread power outages due to fallen tree limbs and power lines," the national weather agency said.
More targeted watches or warnings are likely to be issued on Friday, Gregoire noted.
Double-digit temperatures that arrived in the area on Thursday will be short-lived, coming to an end on Saturday.
"After this storm goes through late into the weekend, early next week the cold air returns," said Gregoire. "There is no sign yet of a long period of sunshine and 18 C or 19 C, I don't see that at all. At least not until the end of next week."