A severe freezing rain storm is striking Eastern Canada on Wednesday, prompting widespread school closures and preemptive public transit suspensions across Greater Montreal and Ottawa. Environment Canada issued orange alerts as precipitation began between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM local time, warning that the system is expected to persist for up to 24 hours.
Meteorologists forecast 20 to 30 millimeters of freezing rain accumulation across the affected zones, accompanied by wind gusts reaching 50 km/h. Multiple school boards canceled classes ahead of the morning commute, and Concordia University halted all in-person activities for the day.
Hydro-Québec mobilized 550 teams comprising 1,100 linemen to respond to anticipated power grid failures caused by ice weighing down tree branches onto power lines. In preparation for the hazardous conditions, regional transit authorities including the REM suspended operations Tuesday night to apply biodegradable de-icers to their electrical lines, utilizing specialized technology to protect the network from severe ice buildup.
Post-storm temperatures are projected to plummet to between -10°C and -15°C, complicating cleanup and power restoration efforts. Environment Canada meteorologists stated the current system is similar in “intensity and scope” to the April 2023 ice storm, which dropped approximately 40 millimeters of freezing rain and left over one million customers without power.