Winter storm sets off school closures, messy commutes in southern Quebec

A winter storm has closed several schools, cancelled flights and made for a difficult commute on roads across the southern half of Quebec on Friday morning.

A number of school boards, including the Eastern Townships and Central Quebec school boards, have shut down 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 remain open Friday but some school boards told parents to expect delays when it comes to bus pickup.

Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning for several regions as heavy snow and freezing rain descend on parts of southern Quebec.

The heavy snow began Thursday evening and Montreal has seen 16 centimetres of snow so far, but could get another 15 cm by the end of the day.

“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.

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.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.