Major winter storm making mark as largest snow event this season in Quebec
Winter warnings blanket Quebec for a storm bringing significant snowfall and dangerous travel through much of Thursday, with up to 40 cm possible for some
Winter storm and snowfall warnings cover Quebec as an intensifying system threatens the biggest snowfall totals of the season so far.
Similar to Ontario, heavy snow and strong wind gusts will be the main impacts with this storm, with a significant swath of 20-35 cm of snow expected. The snow, combined with blustery wind gusts have caused dangerous whiteout conditions on Thursday morning.
Some areas, such as the Laurentians, already reported totals reaching 30 cm on Thursday morning, with more to come in the afternoon.
If your plans are flexible, delaying non-essential travel could save you from a stressful commute.
RELATED: Snow is coming. Here's how much it could slow down your commute
Over 1,200 schools across southern Quebec have closed for the day Thursday due to the storm.
Stay up-to-date with the latest weather alerts in your area, and be sure to always check highway conditions before heading out.
Heavy snowfall totals hit southern Quebec through Thursday
Two waves of energy will phase together near the Great Lakes to bring parts of southern Quebec its biggest snowfall of the season to date.
This snowstorm will bring the first widespread 15+ cm of snow to many areas in the south, which will likely have a major impact on travel and road conditions.
Snow is forecast to spread from west to east across central and southern parts of the province into Thursday.
Snowfall totals will picked up in intensity through the pre-dawn hours of Thursday, with rates between 2-4 cm/h expected for communities along the St. Lawrence. Widespread totals of 25-35 cm are expected.
The snow is expected to fall through much of the day, although easing in intensity later in the day.
Land and air travel have already been disrupted with the high snowfall totals forecast with this system. Widespread school and bus cancellations were also announced Thursday morning.
RELATED: How do schools decide if it will be a snow day?
Blustery winds with gusts up to 30-60 km/h behind the low will also help to blow any recent accumulations, causing reduced visibility and whiteouts on the roads.
"Poor weather conditions may contribute to transportation delays," says Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in a winter storm warning for the Montreal area. "There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas."
Snow totals could be double of what's already fallen this winter
It has been over nine months (April 2024) since Montreal has received over 15 cm of snow in one storm event. The biggest snowfall so far this season for the city has been just over 12 cm. This current event will likely double those numbers, with totals already reaching 29 cm early Thursday afternoon.
For Quebec City, the largest event so far this winter brought the area 15 cm, again with this event is forecast to easily double that. So far, as of Thursday morning, 10 cm has already fallen over the city.
While this season has featured many snowy events, accumulations have been relatively light for the most part, so expect this snowstorm to bring much greater impacts than any previous systems.
Eyes on another looming weekend storm
Fair, but chilly, weather is expected on Friday, which will help in cleanup efforts before another winter storm is expected to impact the region on the weekend.
Significant snow is expected on Saturday and Sunday as an eerily similar storm sets up. Like Thursday's system, this weekend will feature two waves of atmospheric energy merging near Ontario and Quebec. The exact track of the system is still unclear, however, and is being closely monitored by forecasters.
It's not out of the question for us to see another 15+ cm snow event with this next storm.
Fair and frigid conditions are forecast early next week, with high temperatures sitting in the negative teens. However, we will have a risk for another significant system or two later in the week. Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate through the end of February and into March.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on your forecast across Quebec.