Late season storm results in dozens of accidents in Montreal

Leftover ice and snow from Tuesday's storm along with cold morning lows resulted in many more accidents on Wednesday morning, including this one in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. (Valley Weather)

I was one of many Montreal motorists surprised by the heavy snow and rapidly dropping temperatures that occurred during the Tuesday evening commute. A stubborn area of low pressure slowly moved along the international border, dragging down unseasonably cold air behind it, and just enough moisture for some decent afternoon snow.

The storm came in two waves. The snow early in the morning was along a cold front. That precipitation largely fell north of Montreal, with just a dusting here in the city. Meanwhile, the bulk of the moisture with the area of low pressure was across the Ottawa Valley. In Ottawa, just under 15cm of snow fell on Tuesday, accompanied by unseasonably cold temperatures and strong winds. 

As the system pulled east, it dragged any leftover moisture across the Montreal region, just in time for the afternoon commute. The snow fell heavy at times, and as temperatures dropped quickly with the loss of daytime heating, ice began to form on elevated surfaces. Gusty winds reduced visibilities in blowing snow.

Rapidly falling temperatures along with bursts of heavy snow, created ideal conditions for ice to form on elevated surfaces during the Tuesday evening commute in Montreal. The result was dozens of accidents and major delays for motorists returning home.

The result was a rash of serious accidents, including one involving at least 20 vehicles that closed the southbound lanes of Highway 13 along and just south of the bridge connecting Laval. Another rash of accidents closed both inbound and outbound lanes of the Mercier Bridge. The closure stranded motorists for hours as First Responders cleaned up the mess. Ontario Provincial Police reported over 40 collisions across their portion of eastern Ontario, including Ottawa and Cornwall.

There were dozens of other accidents reported across the region, many involving single vehicles hitting the ditch. Snowfall accumulations were highly variable, often depending on elevation. The Montreal area had 5-10cm, with 15-30cm falling from Laval north into the Laurentians.

The 6cm of snow that officially fell at Trudeau Airport Tuesday, was enough to push Montreal over the 200cm mark for the season, to 204.9cm (80.7 inches)

Overnight temperatures were very cold, dropping to -8C here on Ile Perrot, into the minus teens north and west of the city. Another round of accidents occurred on very ice roads during the morning commute. The temperature has slowly warmed above freezing Wednesday afternoon, allowing for most of the ice and snow to melt off area roads.

That may have been winters parting shot, as much milder air in now forecast beginning Thursday and persisting to the end of April. May snow, while not impossible, is very rare in Montreal!

Over 20 vehicles were involved in a serious accident on Highway 13 southbound between Laval and Montreal on Tuesday evening. The highway remained closed for several hours while First Responders cleared the scene.
Photo: Association des Pompiers de Laval