Kingston braces for dangerous weather as city declares significant event

Avoid unnecessary travel

The City of Kingston has declared a Significant Weather Event as a series of hazardous conditions move through the region, prompting officials to urge residents to use extreme caution or avoid travel if possible.

Public Works says the declaration is made under Ontario’s Minimum Maintenance Standards and is triggered when an alert is issued through the Public Weather Alerting Program by Environment Canada. The current forecast calls for freezing rain changing to heavy rainfall, followed by falling temperatures and strong winds that could lead to flash freeze conditions.

The city warns that the combination of weather events could create multiple hazards at once on roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, parks and trails.

As part of the response, Kingston Transit will operate on snow plan routing for morning service on Monday, Dec. 29, using primary road corridors to improve safety and reliability. Riders are encouraged to check snow routes, use real-time transit apps and allow extra travel time.

Residents preparing for waste collection are advised not to put bins out overnight, as ice-covered containers cannot be collected.

The city says it continues to monitor conditions and will share updates through its official social media channels.