According to the channel, the blackouts started on Sunday afternoon in some parts around Montreal region, however, the situation worsened by the evening and became widespread all over Montreal and elsewhere in southern Quebec.
MAP: Snowfall totals from Ontario & Quebec as of 7am EST #onstorm #meteoqc — pic.twitter.com/9XT9LgqaEE
— Dayna Vettese (@daynavettese) 11 декабря 2014
Hydro-Quebec spokeswoman Elaine Beaulieu said the main reason behind the electricity cuts was fallen tree branches, which were breaking under the weight of snow and ice.
"Our crews are presently patrolling to find out where the power outages are and trying to restore the power as soon as possible. It's mainly due to the weather conditions," CBC News quoted Beaulieu as saying.
18z GFS has these snowfall amounts using the Kuchera ratio method. 15cm+ for the Toronto-Quebec City corridor. pic.twitter.com/msoDfuPWNT
— Severe Weather Blog (@blizzardof96) 29 декабря 2014
Heavy snow started to fall in Canada's Quebec Saturday afternoon and subsequently turned into freezing rain on Sunday morning, creating severe conditions for drivers and pedestrians, as it is extremely slippery on the roads and causing electricity blackouts due to fallen branches. The flights in the region have also been cancelled or delayed over weather conditions.