More than 200,000 Hydro-Québec customers woke up without electricity Thursday morning after a powerful ice storm swept across parts of Quebec overnight, coating power lines, roads and infrastructure in freezing rain. The winter storm has forced multiple school closures, disrupted transit services and left thousands of residents across the province dealing with dangerous travel conditions.
The storm hit hardest in southern Quebec, particularly Montreal and the Montérégie region, where heavy freezing rain accumulated through Wednesday night. Officials say the number of power outages increased overnight as ice continued building on power lines and trees.
According to reports from CBC News, Hydro-Québec said crews were monitoring the situation overnight as outages climbed across several regions.
More than 200,000 homes lose power across Quebec
The winter storm caused widespread outages throughout the province, leaving large numbers of homes and businesses without electricity early Thursday morning.
Hydro-Québec reported the highest number of outages in Montérégie, where more than 80,000 addresses were affected. In Montreal, roughly 32,000 customers were without power as ice accumulated on electrical infrastructure.
Other affected regions included:
- Laval: about 4,300 outages
- Laurentians: more than 13,700 outages
- Lanaudière: smaller but scattered outages
Hydro-Québec spokesperson Cendrix Bouchard said the number of outages rose overnight as the storm intensified.
“Overnight, we had an increase in the number of addresses without power in Quebec,” Bouchard said.
The utility company said around 550 repair teams are ready to be deployed across the province once daylight conditions improve, allowing crews to safely inspect damage and begin restoration work.
Ice buildup creates dangerous conditions for power infrastructure
Freezing rain storms are particularly damaging because ice forms instantly on surfaces when rain hits freezing temperatures. That layer of ice can accumulate on power lines, trees and electrical equipment.
When branches snap or lines sag under the weight of ice, outages spread quickly across neighbourhoods. In severe storms, crews often need to remove fallen trees and repair damaged cables before electricity can be restored.
Officials warned that the number of outages may continue changing throughout the day as weather conditions evolve and crews identify additional damage points.
Multiple school boards close schools due to storm
The storm also forced several school boards and service centres to cancel classes Thursday due to power outages and hazardous road conditions.
Among the boards announcing closures were:
- Lester B. Pearson School Board
- Riverside School Board
- Centre de services scolaire des Patriotes
- New Frontiers School Board
In addition to those boards, several individual schools and daycares were also closed across the province.
The English Montreal School Board initially kept schools open Thursday morning, but officials said buildings without electricity would remain closed and parents would be notified directly.
Other boards chose a mixed approach. The Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board and the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal kept most schools open while closing specific locations that were directly affected by power outages.
Officials said school closures could change throughout the day depending on road safety, electricity restoration and weather conditions.
REM light-rail service disrupted by ice accumulation
The severe winter weather also disrupted Montreal’s transportation network.
Service on the REM light-rail network was interrupted between Gare Centrale and Brossard because of ice accumulation on overhead infrastructure.
The REM operator said crews were working Thursday morning to manually remove ice from the system’s cables in an effort to restore service.
Transit officials said they hoped to restart limited service during the day, possibly operating trains every 35 minutes. However, they warned that it remains unclear when normal service will fully return.
To help commuters during the disruption, shuttle buses were deployed between stations on the South Shore and Nuns’ Island.
Meanwhile, service between Deux-Montagnes and Gare Centrale continued to operate normally.
Heavy snow expected in parts of eastern Quebec
While Montreal experienced freezing rain, other parts of the province saw a mix of snow and ice pellets as the storm system moved across Quebec.
Environment Canada maintained a snowfall warning Thursday for Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles, where forecasters expect up to 40 centimetres of snow by Thursday afternoon.
The combination of freezing rain in southern Quebec and heavy snowfall in eastern regions has created a widespread winter weather challenge across the province.
Restoration efforts continue as Quebec deals with storm aftermath
Hydro-Québec crews are preparing for a full day of restoration work as the province continues dealing with the aftermath of the ice storm.
Utility teams will focus on clearing fallen branches, repairing damaged lines and reconnecting affected neighbourhoods.
Residents have been advised to avoid downed power lines and remain cautious while traveling, as roads, sidewalks and infrastructure may still be coated in ice.
Officials also warned that outages could persist in some areas while crews work through the most heavily affected regions.
For residents wanting to track restoration progress and outage updates, Hydro-Québec’s official outage map is available online at Hydro-Québec outage tracker.
As repair crews spread across the province and temperatures fluctuate, Quebec remains on alert while authorities continue responding to one of the latest winter storms affecting the region.
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