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The Grand River Conservation Authority issued a on Friday, notifying residents of a weather system expected to bring temperatures of up 10 C on Dec. 28.

In addition, the authority said the weather system could bring 25-35 millimetres of rain by Saturday evening.

“There is a snowpack of variable depths across the watershed with more snow present in the north. Water levels and flows are slightly elevated due to recent rain and snowmelt runoff,” the authority stated in a news release.

No significant flooding is expected with this event, the GRCA added. However, higher flows in local waterways will increase the risk in low-lying areas typically prone to flooding.

About one million people live within the Grand River Watershed, with most residing in larger urban areas like Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge and Brantford.

The Catfish Creek Conservation Authority (CCCA), based in Aylmer, — particularly in the hamlet of Port Bruce — to watch out for channel water level increases and possible flooding of low-lying areas.

According to the conservation authority, adverse winter weather conditions, coupled with deteriorating ice circumstances on the Catfish Creek and its tributaries, have the potential to create hazardous circumstances near waterways.

“Primary concerns would be increasing water levels, intensifying water flows and possible obstructions to riverine ice transport that result in high water flows, unsafe channel bank conditions and other unpredictable dangers around waterways, adjacent fields, parkland, urban storm drains, small streams, creeks, or other hazardous areas,” the authority added.

Residents are encouraged to exercise caution near bodies of water and to keep children away from waterways.

While there were no active alerts in place as of Friday afternoon, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) warns residents that flooding can happen at any time of year, including winter.

Environment Canada is calling for showers in Toronto on Saturday, with a high of 11 C.

It’s important to know the risks during each season.

The offers the following winter safety tips:

• Always stay away from frozen water bodies and ice around dams and channels.
• Ice conditions in and around rivers and large bodies of water can be hard to predict and should be considered unstable.
• Skating on bodies of water always comes with significant risks, such as inconsistent ice formation, underwater currents and obstacles like rocks or submerged debris. These factors can create unsafe conditions, even if the surface appears solid.
• Warm weather and rainfall during the winter months can raise water levels in rivers, lakes and ponds, potentially causing ice jams, thus making ice conditions even more unstable.
• Keep a safe distance from rivers, lakes and ponds in the winter months because water levels can change very quickly, and riverbanks can become slippery, unstable and eroded.
• Chunks of ice in a river can jam up and release to downstream areas without warning, often in a very short time.