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30 cm of snow, heavy rain, damaging winds: Early April storms strike

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As much as 30 centimetres of snow may fall in some areas of Canada on Thursday, according to the latest forecasts.

Heavy rain and snowfall are expected in parts of Eastern and Western Canada, including in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.

Here's the latest on the storm:

  • Thousands without power in Quebec and Ontario
  • Some flights cancelled between Toronto and Montreal
  • Difficult road conditions contributing to collisions

Ontario and Quebec

A Colorado low brought wet snow to parts of Ontario following Wednesday's heavy rain and wind.

According to Toronto Pearson, airlines cancelled a "handful" of flights to and from Toronto and Montreal due to inclement weather in Quebec. A handful of delays were also reported.

The Toronto airport said it is expecting 492 scheduled departures along with 489 scheduled arrivals Thursday.

Heavy snow that began Wednesday in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec continued Thursday, with an extra 10 to 20 centimetres of wet snow falling through the day.

Environment Canada had issued snowfall warnings for Ontario towns and cities like Brockville, Ottawa, Cornwall and Smiths Falls, which were lifted by Thursday evening.

Ottawa police reported at least 50 collisions on Thursday.

Snowfall and winter storm warnings were also in effect for parts of southern Quebec, including Montreal, Mont-Tremblant, the Eastern Townships, Gatineau and Saguenay. By Thursday evening, only eastern Quebec locations were still under Environment Canada weather alerts.

Hydro Quebec said approximately 297,000 customers were without power at one point. More than 100,000 remained without power by Thursday evening.

The most affected areas included Montreal, the Laurentians, Outaouais and Estrie.

In a post to X, the hydro company said, "Outages are caused by vegetation that is weakened by heavy snow and gusty winds. The vegetation then comes into contact with the distribution network."

It warned further outages could occur throughout the day.

In Chelsea, Que., no one was injured when a vehicle collided with a school bus carrying 14 children. A Barrie, Ont., driver, meanwhile, was charged by police for not clearing snow from their side and rear windows.

Across eastern Ontario, approximately 20,000 customers were without power, according to Hydro One.

Hydro Ottawa has reported power outages affecting nearly 1,500 customers.

A power outage has also hit Global Affairs Canada (GAC) data centres in the National Capital Region, disrupting services like email.

"GAC is working with its IT partners to restore all services as soon as possible," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "It should be noted that this is not linked to a cyber threat."

Atlantic Canada

In Atlantic Canada, 15 to 30 centimetres of heavy, wet snow was expected in northern New Brunswick through Friday, and damaging winds are possible in Nova Scotia. Parts of Cape Breton are warned to expect scaling wind gusts up to 90 km/h and snowfall of 15 to 20 centimetres, with up to 30 centimetres in higher elevations.

Southwestern Newfoundland is under a "wreckhouse" wind warning, as wind gusts may reach 110 km/h. Next week will bring cloudy and wet conditions, Thursday's forecast suggests.

CTV Your Morning's meteorologist Kelsey McEwen said another Colorado low is brewing and set to bring rain and clouds from Texas to Ontario on Monday, impacting cities including Toronto.

Central and Western Canada

Southwestern Alberta could see up to 30 centimetres of heavy snow on Thursday due to "upsloping" winds pushing back against the Rockies – an effect that amplifies the snowfall to the east of the mountain range, said McEwen.

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings across southwestern Alberta – including Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore and Waterton Lakes National Park. Between 15 and 30 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in the region by Friday morning.

"Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow," Environment Canada warns. "Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions."

In Saskatchewan, the forecast varies. Central Saskatchewan can expect a drop in temperatures, the forecast suggests, while Regina and Moose Jaw will experience temperatures in the high teens.

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