Arabnews24.ca:Monday 17 January 2022 07:39 AM: Regions across the province are hunkering down as Quebec is walloped by a winter storm expected to dump up to 30 centimetres of snow in some regions.
Environment Canada has issued snowfall and winter storm warnings for most of Quebec, with anywhere between 10 and 30 centimetres expected, depending on the area.
The snowfall began early Monday and is expected to last throughout the day into the evening, with up to 4 centimetres per hour falling in Montreal in the morning. The storm is expected to move east, hitting the Quebec City region by midday.
Wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour are expected to accompany the snow as well.
"We expect poor visibility conditions because of the heavy snow and winds that will cause blowing snow," said Environment Canada meteorologist Jean-Philippe Bégin. "We expect blowing snow everywhere."
Drivers are being advised to stay off the roads whenever possible.
Major school boards and service centres across the province announced schools would be shut down for the day, though some opted for distanced learning. Quebec schools were supposed to return to class Monday after a delayed start due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The storm is the result of a low pressure system travelling north from the American Eastern Seaboard, and comes after much of Quebec has experienced extreme cold temperatures for the past several days.
Saturday morning, temperatures dipped to –24 C in Montreal, and felt like a blistering –37 C with the wind chill factor.
A balmy high of –3 C is expected for Monday.
