The snowfall is expected to continue until Saturday evening.
However, the heavy and sticky snow due to temperatures around freezing makes driving on the roads difficult, where the road surface is slippery in places and visibility is limited by the sometimes heavy snow driven by winds of 30 to 50 km/h.
The snow could mix with freezing rain in places.
Traffic on the road network is slow, particularly in the greater Montreal area where fresh snowfall, some heavy, is expected Friday night. The road is also snow-covered on the outskirts of major cities and on expressways, particularly on the North Shore in the Montreal region where caution is advised.
Road trips and collisions were reported throughout the network throughout the day, but no major accident has been recorded at the moment.
Car traffic is less important than usual this Friday; There are currently no major traffic jams on the network in the city area.
However, precipitation is expected to intensify during tonight’s rush hour in the Montreal area and in Estri.
Winter is settling in southern Quebec.
Photo: Radio Canada / Daniel Thomas
“It’s not a big storm where people are told, ‘Stay at home.’ The message in this weather is: “Take your time, plan more time and adjust your tours”. »
— A quote from Marie-Ève Giguère, Meteorologist at Environment Canada
Aéroports de Montréal also reports numerous flight delays.
The vast majority of schools were also open in Quebec, while school transportation was suspended in eastern Ontario.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had scheduled a meeting with François Legault in Montreal this morning, also opted for caution by postponing the meeting due to weather conditions disrupting his flight to Montreal.
Heavy, sticky snow is perfect for sculpting traditional snowmen.
Photo: Radio Canada / Jean-Francois Fortier
According to Environment Canada, the low in Estrie, coming from the east coast of the United States, is expected to leave 20 to 30 centimeters of snow by Saturday.
Greater Montreal should receive 15 to 25 inches of snow.
Mauricie, Lanaudière and the Laurentians are said to inherit total accumulations of 15 to 20 centimeters.
Further east, snow should start in the Quebec region late in the evening.
Unusually, the thousands of delegates gathered at COP15 at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal were invited to an information session on Thursday about snowfall and the basic precautions to take in such weather conditions, many of whom have never experienced snowfall on their lives.
When it comes to snow removal, the city of Montreal wants to live up to its reputation as a northern city.
We are ready! We have representatives from all over the world with COP15. We will not disappoint them, promises Philippe Sabourin, spokesman for the city of Montreal. We are the best snow plows in the world. We deliver the goods.