Power outages rise as ice storm moves across Quebec

Freezing rain shut schools, caused outages and made roads slick across Quebec, while a third of flights at Montreal’s Trudeau airport were cancelled.

• Follow along here for fresh updates on this developing story

With freezing rain in the Greater Montreal area on Wednesday, residents and travellers are advised to be on high alert.

Total accumulations of 20 to 30 millimetres of “critical freezing rain” are expected, which could potentially paralyze services and cause widespread power outages, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Areas expected to be affected include Greater Montreal, Montérégie, Outaouais, Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and the Quebec City region.

Wednesday

10:05 pm. power outages surpass 100,000 customers

As of 10:05 p.m. Hydro-Quebec is reporting 100,993 homes without power.

Although the Montérégie region remains the most affected with 43,262 outages, conditions in Montreal have worsened, with more than 18,817 households without electricity, followed by Outaouais at 13,622.

On the island 11,506 customers are without electricity, including, 1,010 homes in Saint-Laurent.

Montreal-Est currently has 3,158 household without electricity followed by Dollard-Des Ormeaux at 2,565 and Baie-D’Urfé at 1,367.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

8:45 p.m. Tens of thousands in Quebec without power

More then 92,656 are currently without power in the province.

The Montérégie region continues to be the most affected, with more than 38,000 homes without power. The Montreal region is next, with nearly 16,800 homes without electricity.

In the afternoon, Premier François Legault indicated on social media that he was monitoring the situation closely.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

7:45 p.m. Hydro-Quebec power outages continue to rise

Hydro-Québec is reporting more than 84,000 power outages across the province. The hardest-hit areas include Montérégie with 27,881 households without power, Outaouais with 22,455, and Laurentides with 7,436.

Outages in Montreal have also risen sharply over the past two hours, with 11,653 customers without electricity. There are currently 6,218 without power in the Saint-Laurent borough and 2,116 in Saint-Leonard.

The cities of Dorval and Dollard-Des Ormeaux are also affected, with 685 and 976 households without power, respectively.

The service interruption on the REM between Brossard and Central Station in both directions continues.

Service is expected to resume on Thursday morning at 5:30 a.m., according to the REM website.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

6:10 p.m. REM service disrupted due to freezing rain

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) says service is interrupted between Brossard and Central Station in both directions due to the weather.

It’s not clear when service will resume, but commuters can check the REM website for status updates.

Pulsar, the REM’s operator, said on Tuesday that it would keep the trains running every five minutes on Wednesday in order to prevent as much ice accumulation as possible on the track.

Meanwhile, the STM says most of its buses are maintaining service and running on time.

Across Quebec, Hydro-Quebec is reporting more than 72,000 customers without power.

- Joe Lofaro, CTV News

5:30 p.m. Worst of the storm is yet to come, Environment Canada says

A band of freezing rain is expected to cross over southwestern Quebec and head east, Environment Canada meteorologist Giselle Dhookie told The Canadian Press.

“But it’s really the end of the weather event,” overnight, “that will create problems,” she added.

With the amount of precipitation that will have fallen and accumulated, “trees will start to fall and hit power lines, and there will be power outages” at the same time that “temperatures will drop,” Dhookie said.

As of 5:30 p.m., there were nearly 60,000 customers without power, according to Hydro-Quebec.

The hardest hit areas are Lanaudière (29,969), Outaouais (12,091), Quebec City region (10,142), and Centre-du-Quebec (2,720).

In Montreal, there are 1,242 customers with no electricity.

- Joe Lofaro, CTV News

With files from The Canadian Press

4:55 p.m. Paid parking spaces will be free until the morning, mayor announces

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced that parking regulations for paid parking spaces and spots reserved for permit holders have been temporarily suspended because of the ice storm.

The measure went into effect at 1 p.m. and will remain in place until 8 a.m. Thursday.

“Reserved lanes, spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility, and secure zones remain in effect,” she added. “If you can, avoid driving.”

- Joe Lofaro, CTV News

4:40 p.m. Hydro-Quebec reports big spike in power outages

As of 4:40 p.m., there were more than 46,000 customers without power across the province.

Most of the outages are in Lanaudière (29,981), Quebec City region (11,668), and the Outaouais (3,139).

Joe Lofaro, CTV News

4:15 p.m. ‘Hydro-Quebec crews are ready for tonight,’ premier says

Premier François Legault released a statement on social media Wednesday afternoon saying the government is monitoring the progress of the storm, including the impact of flooding on roadways.

“Hydro-Quebec crews are ready for tonight and overnight,” he said on X just before 3 p.m.

As of 4:15 p.m., there were more than 12,000 customers without power. The hardest hit areas are the Quebec City region (8,823), the Outaouais (1,777), and Centre-du-Quebec (851).

The impact so far in Montreal is minimal, with just over 100 households with no electricity.

As of 4 p.m., Montreal has received between 3 to 5 millimetres of rain and could see up to 15 millimetres later in the day.

The rainfall is expected to pick up in the next hour or so.

- Joe Lofaro and Lauren Fernandez, CTV News

3:45p.m.: Montreal shelters prepared to maintain maximum capacity

The Old Brewery Mission, a Montreal community organization serving the homeless, says it has “put in place the necessary measures” to maintain maximum capacity.

“We have a really dedicated team and several staff members volunteered on the day shift to stay tonight,” said coordinator Alix Chevalier.

Weather conditions “aren’t easy outside, but we’re really trying to reassure them (the users) and bring them inside,” she added.

- The Canadian Press

3:15 p.m.: Transport Quebec on high alert for road safety

Road conditions across Quebec vary widely, with some routes in the Outaouais partially to completely covered, according to Transport Quebec.

Spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun said visibility is also fluctuating across the province, ranging from good to reduced depending on the area. The Mauricie and Quebec City regions saw snow earlier in the day before transitioning to freezing rain.

Transport Quebec’s emergency response teams have been on high alert since Tuesday evening.

“We have weather forecasts that are quite precise,” Bensadoun said, explaining the department is drawing on a network of 240 mobile and 80 fixed weather stations.

“This will give us information about the air temperature, temperature on the road, if it’s raining, if we need to put salt, if we need to put abrasives, or if we need to remove the snow,” she said.

Bensadoun says road closures could happen anywhere in the province if crews are unable to guarantee safety, and warns conditions could persist into Thursday.

Motorists are urged to consult Quebec 511 before heading out, where road conditions, visibility and any closures are updated in real time.

- Amy Luft, CTV News

3 p.m.: Normal train service, bus routes affected

As of 3 p.m., transit services, including the STM’s metro service, REM and exo Rail are reporting normal service.

Dozens of STM bus routes have been disrupted due to freezing rain. Check here for real-time status updates on bus lines.

“Due to a significant episode of freezing rain, delays may be observed on our bus network on March 11, 2026. Please be careful and plan your trips accordingly,” the STM warned.

Via Rail delays

Via Rail is warning that passenger trains in the Kingston – Ottawa – Montreal – Quebec City corridor may experience delays due to severe weather. Passengers may change or cancel their trip by calling 1-888-842-7245 and can check their train status here.

- Amy Luft, CTV News with files from Anastasia Dextrene

2:30 p.m.: Wednesday’s freezing rain could break a 1955 record

The freezing rain will persist into the overnight hours, Environment Canada warns. The weather agency referred to the precipitation as “highly convective,” meaning it is happening in short, intense bursts and is very scattered throughout the region.

If precipitation tops 20 millimetres Wednesday, it will surpass the record for this date set 70 years ago, when Montreal saw 19.33mm.

The last major freezing rain event hit Montreal on April 5-6, 2023, when 37mm fell, and roughly one million Hydro-Quebec customers lost power.

The freezing rain is expected to transition to rain around 9 p.m. Wednesday. Northeast wind gusts of 30 to 50 km/h are also in the forecast for Wednesday.

The stormy stretch isn’t over after that.

Thursday morning brings a 40 per cent chance of flurries along with stronger westerly gusts of 30 to 80 km/h. Snow is then expected to return Friday evening with around six centimetres, followed by two centimetres Saturday and about nine centimetres Sunday.

Monday is forecast to bring about 11 mm of rain.

- Lauren Fernandez, CTV News

Montreal Stormwatch

• Environment Canada weather alerts - Montreal area
• Hydro-Quebec outages by region
• STM bus line status
• Metro service updates
• Montreal-Trudeau Airport Departures | Arrivals
• Exo commuter train status
• Via rail trains status

1:10 p.m.: Tens of thousands without power in Ontario as storm moves east

The storm is moving eastward, and by noon on Wednesday, Hydro Ontario’s website reported that more than 33,000 homes were without power, mainly in central Ontario.

“We encourage our customers to prepare for a prolonged power outage,” Hydro-Ontario warned on its website.

Across Quebec, 9,831 customers were without power at noon, including more than 6,000 in the Outaouais region.

- With files from The Canadian Press

11:28 a.m. Hydro-Quebec outages

There are now 5,963 addresses without power in Quebec.

The majority are concentrated in the Outaouais region (3,361).

Other areas with elevated outage numbers are the Montérégie (1,377) and the Laurentians (1,033).

11:22 a.m. SAAQ closes some service centres, cancels exams

Quebec’s auto insurance board has closed service centres in Nicolet and Campbell’s Bay due to the weather. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) also said road tests have been cancelled in Gatineau, Trois-Rivières, Shawinigan, Drummondville, and Rivière-du-Loup.

- Joe Lofaro, CTV News

11:15 a.m. Risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and broken bones

Montreal health officials are warning of health risks associated with ice storms, including carbon monoxide poisoning and fractures from falls on ice.

Wednesday’s system is expected to rival the 2023 storm, when Montreal’s regional public health authority recorded more than 100 individual reports of carbon monoxide poisoning on the island. That storm also claimed one life in Quebec from CO poisoning.

The toxic effects of carbon monoxide target multiple regions of the brain, leading to a wide range of outcomes, including memory problems and effects resembling a stroke, said Dr. Martin Laliberté, an emergency physician and toxicologist at the MUHC, in an interview.

Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and non-irritating, meaning a person can be poisoned without realizing anything is wrong. The only way to detect it is with a carbon monoxide detector.

Dr. Laliberté warns that people experiencing power outages should not bring camping equipment, barbecues or propane stoves into the garage or home.

On the risk of falls, he said the simplest way to avoid injury is to stay home. Adults — and seniors in particular — face a serious risk of injury on icy surfaces.

Dr. Laliberté is advising people to plan to stay home for the next 36 hours.

- With files from The Canadian Press

More coverage of the ice storm:

• Montreal braces for ice storm, urges residents to stay home
• Environment Canada says ‘critical’ freezing rain expected in Montreal
• Here’s how to stay safe and protect your home in an ice storm

10:15 a.m. Hydro-Quebec outages

As of 10:15 a.m., there were relatively few power outages across the province, with just 2,665 customers affected. The most affected areas are the Outaouais (1,601) and the Laurentians (849). Montreal only has 88 outages at the moment.

- Amy Luft, CTV News

10 a.m. City of Montreal ‘has teams on the ground’

Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough mayor and executive committee member Jim Beis spoke to CJAD 800 Radio host Andrew Carter about the city’s plans.

Beis said the city began planning for the storm in the last couple of days and that as many as 1,000 workers are on the streets on Wednesday.

“We’ve had teams already on the ground, before any rain or freezing rain comes down, to make sure that salt and abrasives have been placed everywhere throughout Montreal, and I think the public has noticed this as well.” he said.

- Daniel J. Rowe, CTV News

9:30 a.m.: More than one-third of flights cancelled at Montreal-Trudeau airport

Just over a third of Wednesday’s scheduled flights have been cancelled by airlines, with domestic and transborder routes most affected. Runway crews are actively de-icing and spreading product on runways and taxiways.

Aéroports de Montréal says runways will be maintained in rotation and urges travellers to check their flight status directly with their airline before heading to the airport — and to allow at least three hours upon arrival.

Motorists travelling to and from the airport are asked to exercise extra caution on the roads.

- Amy Luft, CTV News

Journey concert postponed

The rock band Journey postponed its Wednesday night concert and will play on Friday instead due to the storm.

Tickets purchased for Wednesday will be honoured.

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

Schools closed across the region

Several school boards announced closures ahead of Wednesday’s storm, keeping students home as freezing rain moved into the greater Montreal area.

- Rachel Lau, CTV News

City of Montreal urges residents to stay home

Montreal is asking residents to avoid non-essential travel and, where possible, to stay home entirely. Those who must travel are being directed to use public transit.

Crews were already working on Tuesday, clearing catch basins to prevent water accumulation.

Boroughs will have shelters on standby in case of emergencies, including power failures.

- Marisela Amador, CTV News

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.