MONTREAL – Frustration levels are at an all-time high at the airport in Montreal, and across North America, as a cold weather front dubbed the polar vortex takes hold.
In Montreal, hundreds of passengers are facing delays as flights to and from major cities across the continent have been delayed or cancelled.
The extreme cold caused airlines to cancel more than 4,400 flights, affecting cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, New York and Toronto.
RELATED: Toronto flight slides off runway at JFK airport
Due to the intense cold, Pearson International Airport ordered a “ground stop,” banning all flights to and from Toronto until at least 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
Officials said that the extreme temperatures were “causing equipment freezing and safety issues for employees.”
Although by 8 a.m., planes were gradually allowed to depart, arrivals were limited until at least 10 a.m.
READ MORE: ‘Ground stop’ lifted at Toronto’s Pearson airport
Montreal’s airport authority is asking that travellers confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport. If a flight has been cancelled, officials are asking passengers to reschedule from home. Check your flight status here.
The temperature in Montreal dropped from +5C to close to -20 C overnight, although the forecast suggests that the city will gradually warm up by the weekend.
The flash freeze came after rain and mild temperatures turned Montreal into what many are calling an “ice rink” by the end of day Monday.
Watch: Montreal faces flash freeze
City officials confirmed that employees were hard at work spreading salt and sand to make sidewalks and roads safe for commuters, with an emphasis on main thoroughfares, hospitals, bus stops and metro station entrances.
The cold has also affected many businesses and residents, including the Queen of Angels Academy in Dorval, which is closed until Thursday, Jan. 9, due to a burst pipe.
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