Environment Canada issues snowfall warnings in parts of Quebec

Snow in Quebec City (photo: CTV News Montreal / Samuel Pouliot)

Snowfall warnings were issued Monday morning for parts of Quebec, including the Eastern Townships and Quebec City areas.

Environment Canada issued the weather warnings for the following regions:

• Eastern Townships (La-Megantic, Thetford Mines, Weedon)
• Quebec City (Côte-de-Beaupré - L'Île d'Orléans, Portneuf, Quebec, Valcartier)
• Laurentians Wildlife Reserve (Grands-Jardins Park, l'Etape)
• Beauce (Lac-Etchemin, Saint-Geirges-de-Beauce-Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce)
• Charlevoix (Baie-Saint-Paul, La Malbaie)

By 9:45 a.m., the warnings in those regions had been dropped, but moved to the following regions:

• Baie-Comeau
• Les Escoumins – Forestville
• Montmagny - L'Islet (Montmagny - Saint-Jean-Port-Joli / Saint-Fabien)
• Saguenay (Tadoussac - Baie-Sainte-Catherine)

Those regions are expected to see some rapidly accumulating snow, making traval difficult in some spot – especially rush hour traffic in urban areas. A total of 15 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in the morning, ending around midday.

Some 148,000 Hydro-Quebec customers lost power Monday morning after heavy snow fell on power lines. Customers most affected are in the Eastern Townships and Quebec City areas, said Hydro-Quebec.

• SEE REAL-TIME OUTAGES BY REGION HERE

Classes were suspended Monday for all students at the Centre de services scolaire des Sommets, serving the Eastern Townships municipalities of des Sources, Val-Saint-François and Memphremagog.

It affects students in elementary, high school and vocational programs, with the exception of online classes.

There is no school transportation. Daycare services are open for the most part, but parents should check directly with their school.

In Montreal, rain should end around noon, with a 40 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon. There's a high of 6 degree Celsius and a low of -1, with a 30 per cent chance of flurries overnight.