Freezing rain and snowfall hit Quebec
Icy and snowy conditions Friday morning have caused school closures, car accidents and delays in many parts of Quebec.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued both snowfall and freezing rain warnings for several regions of the province including the Eastern townships, Vaudreuil-Soulanges-Huntingdon, and Richelieu Valley-Saint-Hyacinthe.
Snowfall warnings are also in effect for Quebec City, the Mauricie region, Charlevoix, Beauce, Drummondville-Bois-Francs and the Magdalen Islands.
According to ECCC, Sherbrooke is expected to see up to 15 centimetres of snow mixed with freezing rain, while Quebec City will see up to 15 centimetres of blowing snow.
Parts of Highway 20 in Quebec City have been closed due to poor visibility, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) has confirmed.
The New Frontiers School Board, which runs schools southwest of Montreal, has closed its schools for the day due to freezing rain and poor road conditions.
Schools stayed open at Riverside School Board, but bus services were suspended.
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On Montreal's South Shore, the Grandes-Seigneuries school service centre suspended today's classes as a precaution.
"We were advised by our school bus operators that the roads were difficult to navigate," said Stéphane Brault, assistant director of the Grandes-Seigneuries service centre. "For the security of our students and the security of bus operators, we made the decision to close the schools."
In the Eastern Townships, the Eastern Townships School board and several French-language school service centres also cancelled classes.
Schools belonging to the Patriotes and Énergie school service centres in the Montérégie and Mauricie regions have also been closed.
According to SQ Sgt. Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a number of car accidents occurred Friday morning, especially at highway exits around Montreal and Quebec City.
Snow and black ice are partly to blame for the collisions, but drivers have to adapt to the weather and drive carefully, said Bilodeau.
The SQ is advising Quebecers to work from home, if possible, and for drivers to remove ice and snow from their vehicles.
This article, written by Joe Bongiorno, was originally published for CBC News.
Thumbnail image courtesy: Getty Images
