Eastern Ontario could be hit with a “potent” spring ice storm lasting from late Friday night into early next week, Environment Canada says.

The agency issued a special weather statement Wednesday afternoon for the entire region, noting they were increasingly confident of a “widespread, prolonged freezing rain event.”

Most areas could be hit by between five and 15 millimetres of freezing rain, Environment Canada said. Some could see more than 20 millimetres.

“The swath of maximum ice accretion is still uncertain at this point, but confidence is highest for areas of central and eastern Ontario between Parry Sound and Kingston,” their advisory said.

“Warnings will be issued as the event draws nearer.”

Forecasters say it should get slippery outside and tree branches could break as ice builds up, putting utilities such as electricity at risk.

Organizations such as Emergency Management Ontario have advice on how to prepare for and manage power outages. CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth version of this website to help stay informed.

The weather would likely improve by Monday, Environment Canada said.

Ottawa’s current forecast calls for snow to begin falling Friday night, followed by cloudy skies on Saturday and then freezing rain or snow on Sunday. The weekend temperatures are expected to hover around the freezing mark.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Environment Canada’s ice storm advisory did not cover western Quebec outside of Gatineau, which is commonly paired with Ottawa.