Montrealers dig out cars after intense snowstorm wallops city

Montrealers woke up to bitterly cold temperatures on Monday, and then they suited up to dig out their cars ahead of their morning commutes to work and school.

More than 21 cm of snow fell over the weekend as strong winds and blowing snow battered eastern and central Canada.

READ MORE: Winter storm slams Montreal, hampering travel, causing power outages

It took some Montrealers more than an hour to find their cars under the mountains of snow.

 “You have to do it once, twice, three times to get the hang of it,” said NDG resident Patrick Beaudin.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter:  "You have to do it once, twice, three times to get the hang of it," said NDG resident Patrick Beaudin.

“After that, it’s like diplomacy. You have to move the snow away in certain ways so the neighbours won’t complain, the snow plows won’t complain and you have to understand that by the end of the day, your car would have moved and someone will have taken your space.”

WATCH: Winter storm making travel difficult in Montreal

1:28 Winter storm making travel difficult in Montreal

While it may not be the biggest storm of the century, Environment Canada spokesperson Michelle Fleury said it was one of the coldest.

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“It’s very rare that we get heavy snow with temperatures below -15 C,” she said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's very rare that we get heavy snow with temperatures below -15 C," she said.

The last time the city was pelted with more than 20 cm of snow in -15 C weather was in 1920.

READ MORE: Winter storm batters Eastern and Central Canada with ice-cold winds, heavy snow

Many roads remain icy as city crews work to clear snow off the streets.

WATCH: Montreal gets walloped with snow as storm moves through

1:01 Montreal gets walloped with snow as storm moves through

The city confirmed snow removal operations will begin at 7 p.m. Monday.

READ MORE: Montreal homeless especially vulnerable when the mercury drops, experts say

“In total, we have to cover 10,000 kilometres of street and sidewalks, that’s a huge challenge,” said city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin on Sunday.

“It’s the equivalent of 18 times back and forth Montreal-Quebec.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's the equivalent of 18 times back and forth Montreal-Quebec."

Check out the Info-Neige app to stay updated on the snow-clearing situation in your area.