The return of winter materialized in southern Quebec on Sunday, with snow accumulation reaching 20 centimeters in Greater Montreal. A prelude to a winter storm expected this week.
Thousands of Quebecers woke up to a white carpet on Sunday morning, after around ten centimeters fell overnight in the south of the province.
Snow combined with cold weather made for slippery road conditions. Sunday morning, a “winter road conditions advisory” was posted on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website.
The snowflakes continued to fall for much of the day on Sunday. At the end of the day, between 15 and 20 centimeters of snow had been recorded in Greater Montreal, the largest accumulation of snow in the province.
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In the Laurentians and Montérégie, nearly 15 centimeters of snow have accumulated since Saturday evening, according to a meteorological summary from Environment Canada. Estrie received 10 to 15 centimeters and Outaouais, almost 10 centimeters. The situation was similar in Lanaudière and Mauricie, while in Centre-du-Québec, an accumulation of 5 centimeters was calculated.
This is a preview of a major storm “with varying types of precipitation and strong to violent winds” coming starting Tuesday evening, according to Environment Canada.
The predicted storm will this time affect the entire province, from Gatineau to Quebec, Rivière-du-Loup, Baie-Comeau, Saguenay and Gaspé, between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning.
The snow should then turn into rain in the Montreal and Quebec regions.
Reduced visibility
Sunday morning, shortly before 7 a.m., the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility reported road conditions as fair in the greater Montreal region, in the northern crown and on the South Shore. In the evening, the roadway was partially covered and visibility reduced on a large number of roads in Quebec.
A few road exits and minor collisions were reported, notably on Highway 15 North in Laval and a little further north, on Highway 640 in Rosemère, in the Laurentians.
Flight delays were also expected due to the storm currently hitting the northeastern United States. At Montreal-Trudeau airport, dozens of flights were delayed by several hours.
With The Canadian Press