(Toronto) A major winter storm that is expected to hit the east of the country starting Thursday evening adds to the constraints in Canadian airports already affected by flight cancellations and delays caused at the beginning of the week by heavy snowfall in Vancouver.
Environment Canada announces “damaging winds beginning Friday morning, continuing into the day Saturday”, with gusts of 90 to 100 km / h, which will cause blowing snow and significantly reduce visibility.
This major weather system will also enter Quebec on Thursday evening. In addition to being accompanied by very strong winds, it will leave significant amounts of precipitation.
Meanwhile, extreme cold advisories are being issued in western Canada.
The predicted winter storm is adding headaches to airlines and travelers this holiday season, who have already faced flight cancellations and delays earlier this week due to heavy snowfall in Vancouver.
Hundreds of Air Canada and WestJet flights have been grounded since Sunday and other airports affected include those in Victoria and Calgary.
At Montréal-Trudeau airport, they claim to be able to count on “an experienced team that has the appropriate equipment, the knowledge and unparalleled expertise to deal with the vagaries of Quebec winters and ensure that the conditions have the least possible impact on operations and The passengers “.
Nevertheless, it is recalled that “singular events, such as significant falls of ice or snow, can lead to flight delays or cancellations”.
“The current situation at other airports may also have an impact on flight schedules to Montreal. We therefore always recommend that travelers check their flight schedules with their airline before traveling to the airport, regardless of the conditions in force,” said ADM Aéroports de Montréal in a press release sent to The Canadian Press.