Snowfall means a white Christmas, but also traffic woes across southern Quebec roads

MONTREAL — A heavy snowfall that began Monday night has guaranteed much of Quebec a white Christmas, but has also sent cars skidding off the province’s roads during the busy holiday travel period.

Provincial authorities have reported a number of incidents on major routes overnight and earlier today, including on highways 10, 20, 40 and 15.

The Quebec 511 traffic information service says the incidents resulted in several lane closures and heavy traffic, but the situation has returned to normal as the snow has tapered off.

Environment Canada says a low-pressure system brought between 10 and 15 cm of light, fluffy snow to much of southern Quebec.

As of just before 10 a.m., both Montreal and Gatineau had received 13 cm, while 12 cm had fallen in Granby and 11 in Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.

A spokesperson for Quebec’s Transport Department says the situation on the roads is back to normal and that all routes have been cleared for Christmas Eve travel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024.