The blizzard, which has swept across much of Quebec since Wednesday night, has left 6 to 10 inches of ground on the ground, with patches of 12-inch mounds that need shoveling.
• Also read: The worst is over in Quebec
• Also read: No hope of snowmen in sight with the new snowfall
Snow accumulations have forced the closure of hundreds of schools across the province. Check out the full list here.
Over the course of Thursday evening, there is expected to be 2 to 4 centimeters of additional snow in Montreal, while the north-easterly winds with gusts of 50 km/h are likely to cause snowdrifts and thus traffic delays on the roads.
A storm settles in several regions of Quebec. If you need to move, take a look @Qc511_Mtl to adapt your driving style to the conditions. Our teams from @Transports_Qc will ensure that our road network is free and safe. Let’s be careful! 🌨️
— Genevieve Guilbault (@GGilbaultCAQ) January 26, 2023
The Quebec region will also receive heavy snow to bring the accumulations to 20 centimeters, with winds of 60 km/h, according to Environment Canada, while freezing rain is expected in Estrie in addition to Thursday morning’s snow.
Photo agency QMI, Guy Martel
The center and the east of the province will be hit by a real winter storm, as the 20 or 30 centimeters of snow on Thursday will be accompanied by strong winds rounding 70 km/h, especially in Gaspésie and on the north coast.
Photo agency QMI, Guy Martel
Temperatures remain normal for the season, but mercury will soon drop sharply to -10 degrees in southern Quebec, according to federal forecasts on Friday.
Difficult rush hour in several regions
Rush hour traffic was difficult on the streets of Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec due to the snowstorm leaving significant accumulation on the ground.
Although conditions will gradually improve throughout the day, motoring in metro Quebec has been particularly difficult as visibility has been limited at times due to heavy snowfall.
❄️💨❄️ Significant snow accumulation, strong winds and reduced visibility are expected in several regions of Quebec! Road conditions could deteriorate rapidly, leading to road closures. Caution, avoid movement!
— Quebec 511 (@Qc511_QcLevis) January 26, 2023
Faced with significant snow accumulations that made roads impassable and, more importantly, difficult, the city of Montreal announced snow removal operations would begin around 7 a.m. Thursday.
“Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles will mark the start of a new snow removal campaign this Thursday morning at 7 a.m. in Montreal,” the Montreal City Administration said on Twitter.
Major arterial roads, lanes reserved for public transit and bus routes are being prioritized to ease the movement of Montrealers, who are being urged to abandon their vehicles or at least remain cautious when hitting the streets in this blustery weather.
In addition, almost 3,000 people and 2,200 snow removal vehicles will take part in the loading work on around 10,000 km of roads, footpaths and cycle paths in the city.
Several flights cancelled
Note to globetrotters: Several flights were canceled Thursday morning due to the storm.
As snowflakes continue to accumulate on the ground, several flights to the United States, including those to New York, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Boston and Chicago, already showed the notice “cancelled” on the Pierre-Eliott Trudeau Airport website this morning. .
Other aircraft scheduled for domestic flights are also grounded, particularly towards Toronto, Quebec, Wabush, Sept-Îles and Fredericton.
The same applies to flights to Montreal from Rouyn, Charlottetown, Moncton, Ottawa, Halifax and Newark.
Several flights to Cayo Coco, Holguin, Detroit, Punta Cana, St. Maarten and San Jose are also expected to be delayed today. The same applies to returns from Cancun, Varadero, Miami and Frankfurt.