Snowy weather closes schools, cuts power to some homes

Winter lights make Old Montreal magical during the holidays. This photo is part of the Parcours Lumineux project by SDC Old Montreal (photo: Genevieve Giguere)

The snowy weather has closed schools and cut power to some homes, predominantly in the Montreal area.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), snowfall rates of one to two centimetres an hour are expected to fall on Monday.

“Powdery snow will be easily carried by winds, resulting in locally reduced visibilities,” the agency said. “Cold temperatures combined with snow will make surfaces slippery.”

Quebec 511 reported numerous collisions due to the weather, including a 15-vehicle pile-up on Highway 40 near Louis-Philippe-Picard Boulevard in Repentigny, east of Montreal.

“We were having temperatures below -12°C. So, applying road salts, basically will not get you to take that ice off the roadway. So we spread abrasives to make it so we have better adherence to the road, but we can’t get rid of that ice under those conditions," warned Louis-Andre-Bertrand of TRansports Quebec.

Additionally, Quebec 511 notes that there is:

• A five-vehicle crash on Highway 40 near Bourget Avenue,
• A three-vehicle collision on Highway 40 near the Île aux Tourtes Bridge,
• A two-vehicle incident on Highway 20 near Taschereau Boulevard,
• A three-vehicle crash on Highway 15 near Henri-Bourassa Boulevard,
• A three-vehicle collision on Highway 40 near Cavendish Boulevard,
• As well as several single-vehicle crashes and breakdowns in and around the Greater Montreal area.

3:15 p.m.

Total outages have dropped to 6,989 addresses: 6,479 in Montreal, 132 in Montérégie and 124 in Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean.

12:50 p.m.

Total outages have gone down to 8,896 addresses, the majority of which are in Laval (3,781), Montreal (3,168) and Outaouais (1,169).

11:15 a.m.

There are 12,135 addresses without power, most notably in Laval (3,805) and Montreal (3,328).

Other areas with a high number of outages include Mauricie at 2,244 and Outaouais at 1,818.

10 a.m.

Power outages have skyrocketed to 10,918.

The majority are in Laval (3,805), Montreal (3,571) and Mauricie (2,238).

8:15 a.m.

Outages are up slightly at 3,689, with 2,648 in Montreal, 642 in Estrie and 112 in the Montérégie.

7:40 a.m.

There are 3,488 addresses without electricity in Quebec.

The majority remain in Montreal at 2,615 customers, followed by Estrie at 642.

6:30 a.m.

There are 6,138 power outages across Quebec, with 5,302 in Montreal and 642 in Estrie.

School closures:

English Montreal School Board (EMSB)

• Mackay Centre and Philip E. Layton Schools
• John Grant High School
• Wagar Adult Education Centre

Other schools

• Centre Académique Fournier elementary and high school
• Ratihente High School
• Rotiwennakehte School
• Vanguard School

Why were most schools in the Montreal area open?

Few schools in the English Montreal School Board were closed Monday, with classes continuing as usual, despite the snowfall.

“Generally, this type of weather that we experienced today, people might be arriving a little late. And if they are, the schools understand that, and there’s no late slips required. They just go to class. But it’s not. This is not a snow day,” said EMSB spokesperson Mike Cohen.

A decision is made early in the morning alongside other school boards and service centres on the island.

Bus companies also play a role in the decision-making process.

“One of the first calls that is made is to the bus companies that service the school boards and the service centres, and they will have a very strong influence on what we decide,” said Cohen.

Quick links

• Hydro-Quebec outage map
• STM bus and Metro
• Aéroports de Montreal: Departures| Arrivals
• Exo commuter train status
• Via rail trains status
• City of Montreal snow removal, parking, towing
• Free parking spots
• My car was towed