Quebec School Closures Follow Ice Storm, Over 200,000 Without Power
An ice storm forced quebec school closures and left more than 200, 000 households without electricity as Quebec’s hydro utility reported widespread outages across the Montreal region after heavy freezing rain on Wednesday. The continuing freezing rain, flagged by Environment and Climate Change Canada as an extended event, is now raising the prospect of multi-day outages, cancelled flights and disrupted transit as cleanup begins.
Quebec School Closures
Montreal-area schools and universities cancelled classes and many schools in southern Quebec were closed ahead of the storm, part of the broader response to freezing rain that fell in the afternoon on Wednesday. The decision to suspend in-person instruction accompanied an early wave of flooding in parts of Toronto and the changeover from snow to ice in eastern Ontario and Quebec. The pattern suggests officials prioritized limiting road and bus travel when freezing rain accumulation made routes unsafe, a step aimed to reduce risk while utility crews mobilize.
Montreal Transit and Flights
Air travel and local transit were hit: more than 100 flights were cancelled at Montreal’s Trudeau airport on Wednesday and dozens of flights were cancelled in Montreal and Quebec City, while services on some stations of the Montreal-area REM light-rail network were halted on Thursday morning. The halted REM stations and hundreds of flight cancellations compound the immediate effects of the outages, and the figures point to compounded disruptions for commuters and travellers as power losses limit airport and rail operations across the region.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued orange freezing rain warnings for southern Quebec and indicated the storm could last up to 24 hours, producing an extended 20-24 hour period of icy conditions across areas including Gatineau, Montreal and the Eastern Townships. Forecast totals cited 10-30 mm of freezing rain in southern Quebec, with the greatest impacts north of Montreal, and winds of 60-80 km/h near Montreal on Thursday that could escalate outages. The data suggest power restoration will face delays because the storm’s duration, freezing-rain totals and high winds increase the risk of ice accretion on lines and broken tree branches that hamper crews.
Power systems are already strained: Quebec’s hydro utility reported more than 200, 000 households without electricity after the storm, while The Weather Network noted that thousands are without power and warned of threats of multi-day outages. Untreated surfaces are slick and broken tree branches are possible, which further complicates access for repair crews and school transportation when quebec school closures remain in effect.
As the event moves into its next phase, forecasts call for a fast-moving clipper to arrive Friday night bringing 5-10 cm of snow to ice-affected areas, and another storm with mixed precipitation types expected Sunday into Monday. If the clipper delivers 5-10 cm as forecast, the data suggest power restoration and cleanup efforts will be further delayed, since additional snow on top of ice will slow repairs and extend outages for affected households.
