After more than 20 centimetres of snow fell Tuesday night and Wednesday, it's officially Ottawa's second snowiest winter on record, with 345 cm so far. Environment Canada is predicting another snowstorm on Saturday.

The all-time record for snowfall was 444.1 centimetres in 1971, so Ottawa needs less than 100 centimetres for the record.

A pedestrian walks along Wellington Street on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday.
(Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

The snow caused major problems for commuters, with Ontario Provincial Police reporting about 150 accidents since 5 a.m., most of them minor, with no major injuries. City police dealt with more than 25 minor accidents.

OC Transpo said several buses broke down and had to be towed. At one point, five buses were stuck along a stretch of Kent Street near Somerset Street.

The heavy snowfall also forced the final closing of Rideau Canal skating rink.

The National Capital Commission blamed a combination of mild temperatures and heavy snow.

NCC spokeswoman Kathryn Keyes said it's harder for the ice to recover from mild weather at this time of year.

Ottawa sent out an estimated 600 snow-removal vehicles overnight and Wednesday morning.

"The snow should end late in the afternoon or early evening, and clear right out," said Mitch Meredith of Environment Canada.

Meredith is already tracking another storm on the east coast of the U.S. that could hit eastern Ontario on Saturday afternoon.

That storm would be all snow, with no rain or ice pellets, he said.