Ottawa Ice Storm in Photos
There is something simultaneously beautiful and unnerving about an Ottawa ice storm. The city that was ordinary the day before becomes something else entirely - every tree branch, every railing, every car antenna encased in a glittering shell of ice. Ottawa Tourism captured the mood: when Ottawa turns to glass.
Local photographers @markgorokhovski, @nicholasplacephoto, @janetjstephens66, and @siobhanwanders shared images of the frozen capital that quickly made the rounds on Ottawa social media, showing familiar streets and landmarks transformed by the ice.
What a Freezing Rain Event Looks Like
For visitors or newcomers to Ottawa unfamiliar with what a serious ice storm produces, the photos tell the story better than any forecast. Trees that normally look bare in mid-March become encased in clear ice, their branches catching light like chandeliers. Roads reflect headlights in ways that signal danger. Sidewalks become polished surfaces requiring careful, shuffling steps.
Ottawa ice storms are different from ice storms in warmer cities because temperatures here typically stay cold enough to keep the ice in place for days.
Ottawa in Every Season
What the images also capture is something Ottawa residents know well: this city is remarkable in every season, even the difficult ones. The ice storm that shut down schools and stretched emergency services also produced moments of genuine natural beauty that photographers were quick to document.
The city's parks, the Rideau Canal corridor, and the Parliament Buildings all took on a surreal, glittering quality that will not be repeated until the next time nature decides to coat the capital in ice.
Source: @ottawatourism on Instagram
