Worst snowstorm of the season set to hit Montreal, up to 40 cm of snow

A major winter storm is expected to hit Montreal and the surrounding areas late Wednesday night, with up to 40 centimetres of snow expected by Thursday evening, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The agency issued a winter storm warning for Montreal, Montérégie, the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Outaouais, and Mont-Laurier, warning residents to prepare for rapidly deteriorating travel conditions.

“An intensifying low-pressure system from Texas will track towards the province of Quebec, bringing heavy snow and blowing snow to the region,” Environment Canada said in its warning. The storm is expected to reduce visibility significantly, creating hazardous driving conditions and delays in transportation.

The snow will begin falling Wednesday night and continue into Thursday, with Montreal expected to receive between 10 and 15 centimetres of snow overnight. However, the real challenges will come on Thursday, as up to 25 centimetres of snow could accumulate during the day. Winds will also pick up, causing blowing snow and further reducing visibility, making for a dangerous commute during the morning rush hour.

Montrealers should brace for quickly changing weather conditions. “Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” the warning advised, urging residents to exercise caution when traveling.

In addition to the heavy snowfall, temperatures will remain cold, with the mildest temperatures expected on Thursday afternoon as the snow intensifies. Montrealers will also experience clear skies on Wednesday, but temperatures will be colder ahead of the storm.

For anyone heading out during the storm, Environment Canada is urging everyone to take precautions to avoid being caught in hazardous conditions. Be prepared for road closures, transportation delays, and poor visibility, and avoid unnecessary travel when possible.

By Thursday evening, much of southern Quebec will be covered by a thick layer of snow, and the storm’s impact could continue into the evening hours.

Montreal preparing for snow removal

“We’re ready to hit the road again with thousands of employees, thousands of trucks to do the clearing operation,” said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal.

“It’s going to be the same process as usual. We will have thousand trucks on the road. We will go around the network of 10,000 kilometers of streets and sidewalks, and we will continue to plow the snow away until the end of the precipitation.

“It’s the first real snowstorm in Montreal. We’re expecting a lot of centimeters of snow.”

Snow clearing will begin Wednesday evening around 9 p.m. and will continue until the end of the day on Thursday. On Friday, they will keep their focus on the sidewalks.

“We want the sidewalks to be clear and not slippery because, all in all, we’re all pedestrians — even if we’re bikers, cyclists, or motorists, we’re all using the sidewalks,” Sabourin said. “So, the main focus for the city on Thursday will be the clearing operation, and Friday will focus on making sure the sidewalks aren’t slippery. Hopefully, we will get a few hours of rest on Saturday, but they’re calling for more snow on Saturday and Sunday. So, I think the city will wait until Sunday to begin the next loading operation.”

Sabourin says the city always has the same priority when it comes to major storms, including clearing main roads leading to subway entrances, hospitals, and schools. The second priority would be the middle-range streets, and the third priority is the residential areas.

“It takes approximately eight hours to complete a turn around the network, so if we’re getting two or four centimeters per hour, you can easily imagine that tomorrow morning there may be accumulation of snow on the sidewalks. Give us time, and we will do the job properly.”

Sabourin mentioned that they’re almost done with the loading operation from the previous snowfall, in time for Thursday.

“More than 95 per cent of the job has been completed before the end of the day,” he said. “Most of the five boroughs actually doing the grabbing operation will have completed this task. Maybe half a dozen streets won’t be completely cleared of snow, but half of those streets will be done. So, all in all, we’re good. We’re one day ahead of schedule. The job was supposed to finish tomorrow, but it’s already done, and the streets are almost all free of any piles of snow.

“In regards to navigation in town tomorrow, it won’t be a piece of cake driving in the city. That being said, the city asks everyone to consider working from home, postponing non-urgent appointments, and if you have to go to work tomorrow, take public transit. Before leaving your car on the curb this evening, keep in mind that we need you to provide enough room to ease the movement of our trucks. So, park your car at least 30 centimeters away from the sidewalks. This way, you’re helping the city do a much better job.”

Sabourin also spoke about the city’s budget for snow removal.

“We have a budget for all operations regarding snow removal, the clearing operation, de-icing, including the grabbing operation and the elimination of snow. The budget for the year is $200 million for all snow operations in Montreal. So, $200 million, that’s the budget for this year for the snow operation.

“If we’re getting 25 centimetres, the cost will be approximately $25 million.”

Montreal preparing for snow removal

There are likely to be several school closures in Montreal Thursday.

On Wednesday afternoon, Peter Hall school already announced its Ouimet and Côte-Vertu campuses would be closed to students and staff.

Several school service centese, like the Centre de services scolaires de Montréal, said they were monitoring the situation closely and would wait until Thursday morning before announcing whether schools in their area would be open.

The Centre de services scolaires des Portages-de-l’Outaouais, the Centre de services scolaires au Cœur-des-Vallées and the Centre de services scolaires des Draveurs all announced they would be closed Thursday.

Private schools like Collège Laval, in Laval, and Collège Saint-Jean-Eudes, in the Quebec City area, also said that they will be closed.

-With files from The Canadian Press