A winter storm closed several schools, cancelled flights and led to a difficult commute on roads across the southern half of Quebec on Friday.
A number of school boards, including the Eastern Townships and Central Quebec school boards, shut down some schools for the day due to the weather.
In some areas, only a handful of classes are cancelled. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, which serves the Laval, Laurentians and Lanaudière areas, closed three schools: Rawdon Elementary, Joliette Elementary and Joliette High School.
In Montreal, the majority of schools remained open Friday but parents were advised to expect delays when it comes to bus pickups.
Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for several regions as heavy snow and freezing rain descended on parts of southern Quebec.
“Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas,” the weather agency said.
Transports Quebec is asking drivers to be cautious on the road by keeping their distance from other vehicles and giving themselves extra time to get to their next destination. It also advises planning out your afternoon commute.
The snowfall also made for tough walks to work for pedestrians in Montreal.
“It’s beautiful but I’m struggling to go to the office,” Faree Tabé said.
Anyone travelling by plane should check the status of their flight before heading to the airport in Montreal or Quebec City. Several flights have been delayed or cancelled at both destinations.
Snow clearing underway in Montreal
The heavy snow began Thursday evening. By noon Friday, Environment Canada reported Montreal had seen 19 centimetres of snow so far and by the end of the storm, the city could get 30 centimetres.
The City of Montreal has launched its second snow-clearing operation this winter season. Officials say it could take more than a week to clear up to 10,000 kilometres of sidewalks, streets and bike paths.
“Actually, we have a thousand workers, a thousand trucks, on the road,” city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said.
The full snow removal will kick off Monday. As a result, the city is asking residents to do what they can to make it easier on the crews out and about in the coming days.
That includes respecting parking restrictions and leaving garbage bins on properties, not on the street.
“It’s going to be a rough time for our crew,” Sabourin said. “The less people we have moving around, the more easy it is for our crew to do the cleaning operation.”
— with files from Global News’ Phil Carpenter