Hydro-Québec crews are working across southern Quebec to restore electricity after a bout of freezing rain and strong winds knocked down power lines overnight. While the province avoided the worst-case scenario forecast earlier in the week, the storm still left hundreds of thousands without power and forced some schools to remain closed for a second day.
Tens of Thousands Still Without Power
At the peak of the outages early Thursday morning, more than 200,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without electricity. The hardest-hit areas included Montréal, the Laurentians and the Montérégie region south of the city.
By late morning, the number had dropped but remained significant, with about 149,000 customers still waiting for service to be restored.
Hydro-Québec spokesperson Cendrix Bouchard said the utility had mobilized all available repair teams to tackle the damage. More than 550 crews were deployed across affected regions on Thursday.
However, Bouchard cautioned that restoration work may take longer than usual because of hazardous conditions.
“Just getting to an outage will take longer than usual,” Bouchard said. “The roads are slippery for everybody, and we always remind the workers to stay safe.”
Some Schools Closed for Second Day
The storm also disrupted the school day for thousands of students in southern Quebec.
Several school boards decided to remain closed Thursday because of unsafe road conditions and power outages. These include the Lester B. Pearson School Board, the New Frontiers School Board and the Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes.
Other boards opted to reopen, including the English Montreal School Board, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board and the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal. Still, a small number of individual schools — particularly those without electricity — remained closed.
School closures during winter storms are common in Quebec, where freezing rain can quickly turn roads and sidewalks into hazardous ice surfaces, complicating both transportation and school operations.
Montreal REM Service Disrupted
The storm also affected public transit during the Thursday morning commute.
Service on Montréal’s Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light-rail system was temporarily interrupted between Gare Centrale in downtown Montréal and the Brossard station on the South Shore.
To help commuters reach their destinations, shuttle buses were deployed in affected areas, including the South Shore and Nuns’ Island.
Strong Winds and Falling Temperatures Expected
Environment and Climate Change Canada says conditions could remain challenging throughout the day.
Meteorologist Simon Legault warned that strong winds may trigger additional power outages as crews work to restore service. At the same time, falling temperatures could create new hazards on roads where standing water has accumulated.
“If temperatures drop quickly, that water can freeze,” Legault said, increasing the risk of icy surfaces and dangerous driving conditions.
Heavy Snow in Eastern Quebec
While Montréal and nearby regions were mainly affected by freezing rain, other parts of Quebec saw different winter weather.
A snowfall warning remained in effect Thursday for the Côte-Nord communities of Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, where up to 40 centimetres of snow was expected by the afternoon.
Transport Québec reported particularly poor road conditions in the Côte-Nord and Gaspé regions. Portions of Route 132 and Route 138 were closed to truck traffic due to safety concerns, according to spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun.
In the Quebec City area, several schools also remained closed Thursday morning, although some daycare services stayed open to support families.
Recovery Continues After Winter Storm
As Hydro-Québec crews continue repair work and weather conditions stabilize, officials expect power to gradually return to most affected households. However, with icy roads and lingering winter weather across parts of the province, authorities are urging residents to remain cautious while travelling.
