Ice covers part of a street in Montreal, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, following a storm which left around 15 millimetres of freezing rain in the area. (FILE PHOTO) THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

By The Canadian Press

Winter storm bringing freezing rain, heavy snow sweeping into Ontario, Quebec

Mar 11, 2026 | 9:23 AM

MONTREAL — A winter storm is sweeping across Central Canada and headed toward the Atlantic region, bringing a mix of heavy rain, freezing rain or significant snowfall depending on the region.

In Toronto, police said flooding had been reported in North York, East York, and Scarborough, and officers warned motorists to exercise caution while driving. Environment Canada said water will likely pool on roads and low-lying areas and asked residents to watch for washouts near rivers, creeks, and culverts.

Ontario’s power utility said about 32,652 customers were without electricity on Wednesday morning. The southern part of the province was forecast to receive between 20 to 40 millimetres of rain, possibly more in areas hit by thunderstorms. Areas further north, including Timmins, was expected to get between 10 to 20 centimetres of snow.

Southern Quebec, from the Outaouais region and up the St. Lawrence Valley to Quebec City, was forecast to receive between 20 to 30 mm of freezing rain from the storm, which could last up to 24 hours. Further north in Quebec, heavy snow is expected, with 20 to 30 cm forecast in Charlevoix, Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, and the Lower St. Lawrence, and up to 40 cm along the Côte-Nord.

The storm was forecast to move into New Brunswick Wednesday afternoon, bringing between 15 to 25 cm of snow and ice pellets in the northern half of the province, and up to 10 mm of freezing rain in the south.

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Environment Canada warned that the accumulating ice could disrupt travel, damage property, and cause power outages. As of about 10 a.m., Hydro-Québec had not yet reported any customers without electricity.

Montreal’s public transit agency said on social media that most buses were running on schedule Wednesday morning, but drivers were adjusting their driving to ensure passengers safety. The greater Montreal area’s REM light-rail network said it had adjusted operations and schedules and urged passengers to check service updates before travelling.

Quebec’s Transport Department asked people to postpone non-essential travel. “If you have to take the road, it’s really important to adjust your speed to the weather and road conditions,” department spokesperson Alexandra Houde said in an interview.

Many Quebec school boards cancelled classes on Wednesday in anticipation of the storm.

Air travel in the country is being disrupted as well. At Montreal and Quebec City airports, early morning flights departed normally, but dozens of later departures had been cancelled by mid-morning. Eric Forest, a spokesperson for Montréal Trudeau International Airport, said more than a third of flights scheduled for Wednesday had been cancelled.

Forest said airport “teams are on the job, clearing the runways and taxiways and de-icing the surfaces. We have begun spreading de-icing products on the runways.” Travellers are being advised to check flight schedules with their airline before heading to the airport and to allow extra time for travel.

The storm is also affecting cultural events. A concert by the rock band Journey scheduled for Wednesday night at Montreal’s Bell Centre has been postponed to Friday, promoter Evenko said, citing weather-related travel disruptions.

Meteorologists say the system could resemble the major ice storm that hit parts of southern Quebec in April 2023, when some areas — including Montreal — received about 30 mm of freezing rain.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 11, 2026.

—with files from Kathryn Mannie in Toronto.

The Canadian Press