Montreal woke up to 30 to 40 centimetres of snow Wednesday morning and though Environment Canada’s winter storm watch had ended, the snowstorm was expected to keep falling at least until early Thursday.
On the South Shore, accumulations ranged from 60 to 70 centimetres, meteorologist René Héroux said.
“It was a heck of a storm,” Héroux said. While Montreal is digging out from a lot of snow, a snowfall record was not set, Héroux said, nor did it beat another famous Montreal snowstorm — that of March 4, 1971, when 47 centimetres of snow fell in the Montreal region.
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre conveyed his thanks to the city’s emergency services, citing the fire department in particular, for their presence during the snowstorm.
Snow removal operations in Montreal will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday and will last six days, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said.
An accident Tuesday evening on southbound Highway 13 was the first link in a chain of events that on Wednesday morning left 300 vehicles stranded on the thoroughfare and the entire highway closed in both directions between Highways 20 and 40. By 8:45 a.m., Highway 13 northbound was partially reopened.
The STM reported that about 200 buses were stuck in the snow and more than 100 drivers were unable to get to work. The transit agency said service will likely be affected all day, and urged commuters to use the métro if possible. Road conditions are delaying buses.
Most schools in the Montreal area are closed: the Lester B. Pearson School Board, English Montreal School Board, Commission scolaire de Montréal, Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoy, and Commission scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île all announced their buildings will be closed. Most CEGEPs are also closed — check with your individual school to be certain before heading out. McGill classes are cancelled till at least 1 p.m. and Concordia has cancelled all Wednesday classes, though campuses remain open. UQAM says that “despite the storm,” it will remain open. Université de Montréal has cancelled classes, but the campus is open.
Flights were delayed or cancelled to and from Trudeau airport and along much of the U.S. northeast. Check the airport’s website before you grab your suitcase.
Home delivery of The Montreal Gazette will be delayed, or might go out with Thursday’s edition. Let’s keep our carriers safe!