Montreal buried under hefty snowfall, power outages and closures rack up
Powerful snowstorm hits southern Quebec to start this week, with 20+ cm already recorded in the Montreal area ahead of the morning commute on Monday
Travel delays, school closures and widespread power outages. The first major snowstorm of the season has taken a toll on southern Quebec.
By 9 a.m. on Monday, Hydro-Québec had reported over 107,000 customers were without power, mostly in the Eastern Townships and Montérégie area. About 2000 schools also shut their doors amid the dangerous and deteriorating conditions early Monday morning.
Between 20-30+ cm of snow is expected by the time the storm wraps up on Monday, including across parts of Montreal.
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First major snowstorm of the season takes a toll on southern Quebec
A low-pressure system tracking across New England tapped into a bounty of Gulf moisture as its northern fringes spilled over the border to end the weekend.
Plenty of cold air in place at the surface allowed snow to begin across southern Quebec during the day Sunday. The wintry precipitation picked up in both coverage and intensity heading into the overnight hours.
By 10 a.m. on Monday morning, 28 cm had already accumulated in Montreal, with even heavier amounts reported across the south.
Going somewhere? Check out the current highway conditions before heading out!
Precipitation will slowly taper to periods of light snow by Monday afternoon, but storm clean-up will still be ongoing for many.
Another push of widespread snowfall will span Quebec's south Monday afternoon and early evening before finally fully pushing east.
WATCH: Montreal dealing with 30 cm of snow
An additional 5 cm is forecast in Montreal through Monday, with higher totals possible in the southeast as the system retreats.
This will be a sticky, wet snow that clings to trees and power lines, increasing the potential for power outages in areas that see the greatest accumulations. It’ll also make it difficult to shovel, so keep your cardio health and muscles in mind before heading out to clear off sidewalks and driveways.
The wet snow could also lead to airport delays and possible cancellations as crews will have to work to clear the sticky snow off aircraft for a safe departure, so be sure to plan ahead.
Montreal finally drops below the freezing mark, and things are staying chilly
It may have taken until now, but Montreal finally broke the freezing mark threshold, recording a daytime high below 0°C on Sunday. Temperatures will continue to tumble from there.
SEE ALSO: Montreal yet to see a daytime high below freezing this season, what's happening?
Behind this system, bitterly cold Arctic air will ooze south, bringing the coldest air of the season so far to Montreal and surrounding regions.
Temperatures aren't expected to be warmer than -8°C for most, dropping even colder especially through Wednesday and Thursday. This pattern will keep the snowfall on the ground and call for extra layers if you have to head out.
Thumbnail image courtesy: Véronique Saumure.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on this snowfall in Quebec.
