Major snowstorm today for Montreal and southern Quebec

Heavy snow across eastern Ontario and southern Quebec will make travel very difficult today. Since early Thursday, 14cm has fallen at Trudeau Airport, with another 20-30cm possible today. (ValleyWeather Photo)

Winter Storm Warning in effect for metro Montreal.

Light snow is falling early Friday morning across the region. The snow has been mixed at times with freezing drizzle overnight, but that will end soon, if it has not already. Radar is showing very heavy snow to our south and west, with rates of 1-2cm per hour expected for Montreal this morning into early afternoon. As of 5am Friday, Montreal had already received 14cm of fresh snow.

Rapidly strengthening low pressure will move from Virginia across southern New England today and into Atlantic Canada tonight. A swath of heavy snow is expected to develop over the St. Lawrence Valley early Friday morning, and persist into the late afternoon. Near blizzard conditions are possible across southern Quebec as increasing northeast winds up to 60km/h develop today. The combination of heavy snow and blowing snow will make travel difficult today across all our regions. For that reason, most major school boards in metro Montreal and across southern Quebec, have cancelled classes for the day. Some flight cancellations have been reported at Trudeau Airport, so check you flight status before heading out to the airport.

A major snowstorm will impact the St. Lawrence Valley today as well as southern Quebec, New England, and Atlantic Canada. (AccuWeather.com)

The snow will taper off to flurries after midnight tonight, with total storm accumulations of 30 to 50cm expected. The high temperature of -5C has been reached already, with temperatures steady or falling today to an overnight low of -15C, with windchill readings in the -20s.