Thousands of residents across Montreal and surrounding regions were without electricity Monday morning as freezing rain and powerful winds moved through southern Quebec.
Environment Canada says a prolonged period of freezing rain and ice pellets will continue through the end of the day, with 5 to 15 millimetres of ice accretion expected in the Montreal area. Temperatures are hovering near plus 1 C, though wind chills made it feel closer to minus – 13 C early in the day. Freezing rain is expected to transition to snow mixed with rain later this afternoon.
Power outages were already widespread as of 8:19 a.m. In Montreal, 2,357 customers were without electricity. The Montérégie reported 3,793 outages, while 45 customers were affected in the Laurentians. Across Quebec, approximately 8,140 addresses were without power.
Winds are expected to intensify later today, shifting to the southwest and reaching 60 km/h with gusts up to 90 km/h in Montreal, raising concerns that outage numbers could continue to climb as conditions worsen.
