Widespread outages, closures as potent spring storm hits eastern Ontario, Quebec

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This may not be the start to April you were hoping for across eastern Ontario and Quebec. A powerful spring storm has left hundreds of thousands without power, with nearly 300,000 left in the dark first thing Thursday in Quebec, and about 50,000 across Ontario. As conditions quickly deteriorated, most schools across the region opted to close their doors, as well.

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During its peak, the snow was forecast to be falling at a rate of 3 to 6 cm per hour, with poor travel and reduced visibilities reported early Thursday. Drivers are urged to adapt to the changing conditions, and to alter travel plans until conditions improve.

Some of the hardest hit regions could see upwards of 10-25 cm of snow by the time it is over, with the potential for the system to overachieve in some spots.

Thursday: Difficult travel amid heavy snow and winds

For some, this early April snowstorm has been more significant than anything from the recent winter season as a clash of two weather systems, one from Colorado and the other along the East Coast, has resulted in this potent spring set up.

The snow will persist into the better part of Thursday, with widespread snowfall warnings lining both eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. Before dawn, Ottawa had already picked up 11 cm of snow, with Montreal sitting just above at 12 cm.

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Winds have also been problematic, and combined with the heavy, wet snow, have taken a major toll on power lines across the region. In Montreal alone, 100,000 customers were affected early Thursday morning. Around 50,000 have been impacted in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

Gusts between 50-70+ km/h are expected before easing through the evening hours on Thursday.

Up to 20 cm of snow is forecast for Ottawa before it tapers later Thursday, with around 25 cm expected for Montreal.

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Even heavier totals are likely in Algonquin, the Laurentians, and parts of the Eastern Townships. There is the potential for some of these areas to overachieve with snowfall amounts.

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Snow flurries will continue into Friday morning, though with a bump in temperatures bringing mixed precipitation and scattered rain.

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A warming trend is forecast into the weekend, with temperatures climbing well above seasonal. Forecasters will continue to monitor conditions ahead of the total solar eclipse that’ll traverse the region on Monday, April 8.

Check back frequently for the latest updates on the weather across eastern Ontario and Quebec.

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