Most of Canada battles snowstorm that brings flights, schools to grinding halt

John Vennavally-Rao has the latest from Toronto as crews work to clear snow after record snowfall closed schools and delayed flights, impacting millions.

A record-breaking snowstorm wreaked havoc on southern Ontario and Quebec over the weekend, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights before travelling further east.

According to FlightAware.com, nearly 300 flights departing Toronto’s Pearson Airport were cancelled, while airport crews cleaned up the highest daily total snowfall recorded on Sunday – 46 centimetres.

Pearson warned the public of further delays on Monday, as the cleanup drive requiring massive snowplows and dump trucks continued to work on the tarmac.

Flights to and from Atlantic Canada and parts of the U.S. could face further disruptions, the airport warned passengers.

Here’s a look at weather conditions from coast to coast coast:

Atlantic

Martimes residents continue to witness messy conditions for at least another day.

Yellow snowfall warnings are active in southern parts of New Brunswick, with Environment Canada expecting between 20 to 30 centimetres of snowfall lasting until Tuesday morning, with the Fundy coast seeing a higher amount.

N&L Hydro and Newfoundland Power asked customers to save electricity due to the possibility of power outages over the weekend.

N&L Hydro had reported a buildup of frazil ice last week – a mix of ice crystals suspended in water – that had blocked the plant’s intake and forced it into the first shutdown since 1967.

• READ MORE: Slow-moving Nor’easter brings snow, gusty winds, cancellations to the Maritimes

Areas in Prince Edward Island are under a special weather statement, warning residents of up to 25 centimetres of snow and northerly winds gusting between 40 to 60 km/h.

Nova Scotia is also under a similar yellow warning, with Environment Canada stating that residents could face 20 to 35 centimetres of snow with 50 to 70 km/h wind gusts.

Most schools in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were closed on Monday due to the weather, while schools on P.E.I. were dismissed early.

Quebec and eastern Ontario

Residents in Montreal faced power cuts to their homes and businesses, while the snow prompted school closures across the city.

Quebec 511 – the provincial traveller information service – said there were several collisions due to the volume of snow, including a 15-vehicle pileup on Highway 40 in east Montreal.

• READ MORE: Snowy weather closes schools, cuts power to some homes

According to Environment Canada, the city could see an additional rate of one to two centimetres of snowfall an hour on Monday.

Temperatures will touch a cool -16 C overnight in Montreal, with light snow ending at night, Environment Canada said.

Tuesday continues to see light snow with daytime temperatures of –11 C, dipping to -18 C overnight. On Wednesday through Saturday, the daytime temperatures are expected to see a high between -12 C to -10 C, with the nightly dips reaching -15 C to -18.

In Ottawa, the winter storm continues to ravage the city, with Environment Canada warning residents about periods of snow continuing through the afternoon bringing with it around two centimetres of snow.

The nation’s capital was blanketed with around 14 centimetres of snow, leading to more than 150 collisions reported at 4:15 p.m. Police called the roads “unpredictable” amid the snowy conditions.

• READ MORE: LIVE UPDATES: 14 cm of snow blankets Ottawa, daytime parking ban now in effect

A Via Rail train faced a delay of nearly six hours due to “operational constraints,” according to the rail service’s website on Monday, while six trains scheduled to travel through Ottawa were cancelled due to the storm.

As the snow reduces, the city will see a dip in temperatures, touching a cool -21 C on Monday night with a wind chill of -28 overnight, the weather agency said.

Tuesday through Thursday will see similar temperatures, according to Environment Canada, ranging between -22 C and -20 C.

Greater Toronto Area, southern Ontario

The Greater Toronto Area witnessed the biggest, single-day snowstorm that dumped nearly 60 centimetres of snow throughout the region on Sunday, leading to school closures across the city while travelling anywhere within becomes messy commute.

Environment Canada said Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in the city’s downtown core saw around 56 centimetres of accumulated snow, while areas near Lake Ontario saw the most significant accumulation.

• READ MORE: Toronto digs out from the biggest single-day snowstorm in its history. Live updates here

Public transit routes have been majorly affected due to the snow pileups, leading to several cancellations.

Temperatures in Ontario’s capital city are expected to see a low of -15 C with a 60 per cent chance of flurries on Monday night. Daytime high on Tuesday is expected to touch -8 C with a chance of flurries, as the temperature dips to a low -14 C during the night.

Wednesday through Saturday will see a daytime high of temperatures ranging from -7 C to -11 C, dipping as low as -20 C on Thursday night.

Western provinces

Alberta will see the return of cold and wet, seasonal weather after a chilly weekend this week. Calgary saw a warmer Sunday than Saturday with almost a five-degree difference.

This week will feel warmer-than-usual for Albertans because of a ridge of high pressure from the Pacific basin building in B.C., which will send warm air their way, CTV Your Morning meteorologist, Jodi Hughes said.

• READ MORE: After Monday, Calgary’s daytime highs will sit between 4 C and 9 C for more than a week

Monday saw a daytime high of -4, dipping to -9 at night. Meanwhile the average temperatures for the rest of the week will range between -2 C to -15 C. Thursday and Friday will experience a warmer-than-usual high of -2 C.

While most of Canada was battling the snowstorms, B.C. residents are looking forward to a week of increasingly warming temperatures.

Monday will see a low of 2 C with a 40 per cent chance of showers. Tuesday through Saturday will see daytime temperatures increasing from 8 C to 11 C, with the nightly dips only touching a low of 7 C. Most days of the week will see a 30 to 40 per cent chance of showers.

With files from CTV News’ Rachel Lau, Josh Pringle, Natalie Lombard, David Prisciak, CP24 Staff and The Canadian Press