Environment Canada has issued several weather warnings for Quebec on Sunday, ranging from freezing rain to heavy snowfall and winter storm warnings.
In Montreal, a previous freezing rain warning has been lifted, but rain and snow are expected throughout the day.
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City officials are keeping their eyes on the weather, and say that teams have been dispatched to spread abrasives in order to ensure the safety of residents.
They are reminding pedestrians to exercise caution and always cross at intersections and crosswalks.
“It’s a crazy winter,” said Philippe Sabourin, city of Montreal spokesperson. “We’ve had twice the number of days of freezing and unfreezing temperatures. So considering the weather we’ve got, we must say that we’ve done everything in our power to secure the moves for motorists and pedestrians.”
Urgences-Santé said it has experienced an increase in calls because of the extreme swing in temperatures.
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Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 20, it received 710 calls requesting help for falls that occurred outside.
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In that same period last year, there were 458 calls. Meanwhile in 2017, there were 439.
“Since the beginning of the year, we’ve observed a 55 per cent increase in calls for outside falls and it’s in direct correlation with the weather we’ve received since January 1,” said Eddy Afram, Urgences-Santé spokesperson.
Unfortunately, the weather agency says conditions won’t be improving anytime soon.
“It’s going to be two very cold nights from Monday to Tuesday and Tuesday into Wednesday,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault.
“Temperatures will drop a lot, so everything that’s right now in water is going to be freezing up at some point.”
For those travelling, several flights in and out of Montreal have been delayed or cancelled.
As of 10 a.m. Sunday, 42 departures and 34 arrivals had been cancelled.
Aéroports de Montreal recommends checking your flight status with your airline carrier.
The Sociéte de transport de Montreal is also suggesting commuters plan more time for their trips, and before heading out the door, check the schedule and geolocation of their buses in real time.
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