Environment Canada is warning of a major freezing rain storm expected to sweep through parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, potentially leading to power outages and dangerous road conditions.
The weather agency issued an “orange alert” for much of southern Quebec, saying that residents should prepare for major disruptions.
Eric Tomlinson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the freezing rain is forecast to begin around 6 a.m. in the Montreal area and the Ottawa Valley, affecting the morning commute.
Between 20 and 30 millimetres of freezing rain are expected in those areas, and could last for 24 hours.
Tomlinson said the agency is still closely tracking the storm to determine when and where the precipitation could turn to rain.
“With this type of freezing rain event, a few degrees makes a big difference,” Tomlinson said at a briefing Tuesday.
The areas in Quebec under a freezing rain warning include:
Some areas across eastern Ontario closer to the St. Lawrence River could rise above the freezing mark Wednesday afternoon, which would lessen the amount of ice buildup in these areas, Environment Canada said.
Areas further north in Quebec, including Charlevoix, Saguenay and Rimouski, could be hit with 20 to 30 centimetres of snow.
Parts of Atlantic Canada is expected to get hit with a mix of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday afternoon.
Environment Canada says there will likely be transportation delays and cancellations as a result of the ice storm, and prolonged utility outages are likely. It advised against any non-essential travel.
“Significant damage to property, including some buildings and trees, is likely due to the weight of ice,” the weather agency said in a statement.
As well, cold weather in the days after the storm “may complicate and delay the full return to normal services.”
Cendrix Bouchard, a spokesperson for Hydro-Québec, said Tuesday the public utility is preparing to dispatch crews to the areas that end up being hardest hit.
There are 550 crews, totaling 1,100 line workers, ready across the province along with the equipment ready do to quick repairs, he said.
The STM, Montreal’s public transit agency, said transit users can expect to face delays on Wednesday.
“Our staff in the field and in the control room will be constantly monitoring the situation, and bus drivers will be exercising extra caution,” spokesperson Kevin Bilodeau said.
“Service status will be updated in real time as the situation develops on the roads.”
A spokesperson for Montreal’s light-rail network, the REM, also said it is monitoring the situation.
Claudia Néron, a representative for the REM’s operating consortium, Pulsar, said trains will run throughout the night from Tuesday to Wednesday to prevent ice from building up on the network’s overhead power lines.
Crews have also developed new techniques to better counter freezing rain, including the application of a biodegradable anti-freeze product on the cables, Néron said.
The City of Montreal has scheduled its own news conference for this afternoon to give an update on its plans for the storm.
The last major ice storm to hit Quebec was in April 2023, when more than one million Hydro-Québec clients lost their power. Tomlinson said the approaching storm is similar in “intensity and scope.”
