Cold and bright Thursday, so bundle up and make the most of it

Morning, Ottawa. It's -1 out there with a feels-like of -3, but the sky is clear and it's going to be a bright one, so grab the toque and the good gloves and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. UV is low at 2.0, so sunglasses are more about the glare off the snow than anything else. Sunset comes at 5:55 this evening, so if you're heading out after work, plan on the dark settling in soon after you leave the office.

If you're driving or taking the bus this morning, give yourself a little extra time on the roads, since anything with a bit of frost on it will be slick in the shady spots. OC Transpo and the O-Train are your friends on a cold day like this, so if you can ride, you'll be warmer and spared the hunt for a parking spot downtown.

On the local front, the big conversation at city hall is back on. Mark Sutcliffe is returning for a second term with housing and transit at the top of his list, and it's worth keeping an eye on how those priorities take shape. Across the river, Gatineau police announced they arrested 12 drivers for impaired driving over a 76-hour stretch, a reminder to plan your ride home if you're going out tonight. And the RA Centre is eyeing a $100 million redevelopment that would include an affordable housing tower on Riverside Drive, which is the kind of project that could change that stretch of the south end over the next few years.

If you're hungry, Zen Bowl has landed in Centretown with Shanghai soup dumplings and pan-fried buns, which is exactly the kind of thing you want on a -1 day. Top local chef Kat Ferries has traded the grueling kitchen hours for sustainable work at a butcher shop, a move that has a lot of folks in the food scene paying attention. And Ottawa chef Yannick La Salle has advanced to the 2027 Canadian Culinary Championship, so there's some pride to go around in the local food community.

For the evening, you've got options. The Ottawa 67's had a strong showing at home, beating Brampton 5-2 with five different players finding the scoreboard, and the Halifax Mooseheads are in town for a 7:00 PM tilt against the Gatineau Olympiques at Centre Slush Puppie, so there's a game to catch if you're in a hockey mood. At the Algonquin Commons Theatre, El-Funoun Canada Tour brings Ya Saheb Al Tair at 6:30 PM. The CBC Massey Lectures are at the National Arts Centre at 7:30 PM, and Serge Fiori plays the Théâtre du Casino du Lac Leamy at 8:00 PM. Since it's indoors everywhere tonight, the cold won't be a factor once you're inside, so pick your mood and go.

Have a good Thursday, and stay warm out there.