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Freezing rain, blowing snow, ice pellets and strong winds are prompting weather alerts for much of Eastern Canada.
As of Monday morning, orange alerts — the second-highest level — are in place for Ontario, Quebec and some parts of Nova Scotia.
The Ottawa and Montreal areas could see up to 15 millimetres of ice accretion from freezing rain, starting Monday and ending Tuesday evening. Southwesterly winds of up to 70 km/h are also expected, with winds of up to 90 km/h in Montreal and the western parts of the island.
Thousands are without power in Ontario and Quebec.
In Toronto, London and the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay regions, Environment and Climate Change Canada is warning of blizzard conditions with “dangerous snow squalls.”
“An initial brief, intense snow squall is expected this morning along a cold front,” the agency said, noting the snow, followed by a temperature drop could lead to icy surfaces and hazardous travel conditions. Northwesterly winds of 70 to 90 km/h will be in the mix, the warning said.
Click on this interactive map on the red, orange and yellow areas to get more information on the weather alerts across Canada:
Northern Ontario and Quebec are also expected to see blizzard conditions, with heavy snow and strong winds in areas such as Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins in Ontario, and Val d’Or in Quebec. The north and south shores of the eastern St. Lawrence in Quebec could see between 40 and 60 centimetres of snow.
The weather agency is calling for extreme winds — up to 140 km/h — in northern Nova Scotia, particularly the northeastern tip of the province.
Environment Canada has issued a rare orange-level weather alert for the area, meaning severe weather is likely to cause major damage or disruption that could last a few days.
