Montreal breaks snowfall record with over 70 cm of snow in 4 days, residents asked to stay home

Montreal is digging out from unprecedented back-to-back storms, with more snow having fallen between last Thursday and Sunday than any four-day period on record. 

A total of 75 centimetres of snow fell on the city when taking into account the two storms, according to Gina Ressler, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. It's the most since at least 1941, when record-keeping began.

While the city did not break any single-day snowfall records, it's unusual to have major snowstorms a few days apart, she said. It's even rarer to have a blizzard across southern Quebec. 

"Usually blizzards happen further up north in the Arctic," Ressler said. "To have that come a couple of days after a major winter storm is very exceptional."

Sunday's storm dropped about 40 centimetres on Montreal and Laval, 53 centimetres of snow on Mirabel and up to 35 centimetres in the Eastern Townships as of 11 a.m. Monday. 

"Luckily we don't have any major winter storms on tap for the rest of the week so hopefully we do get into a bit of a break so we can dig ourselves out," Ressler added.

Many schools across Quebec cancelled classes and the public has been asked to avoid non-essential travel, as snow-clearing operations continue during blizzard conditions. Mike Cohen, a spokesperson for the English Montreal School Board, said all boards are planning to reopen on Tuesday.

The government agency issued a blowing snow advisory for Montreal along with the St. Lawrence Valley, the Laurentians, the Eastern Townships and the Beauce.

Winds of 60 to 90 kilometres per hour are causing reduced to near-zero visibility and widespread blowing snow, according to Environment Canada, meaning there could be poor visibility across up to 800 metres for at least three hours.

The weather also resulted in hundreds of flight cancellations out of Montreal's international airport on Sunday and Monday. Via Rail also cancelled service on some of its routes.

English school boards and French-language school service centres in the greater Montreal area announced that classes would be cancelled at primary and high schools on Monday due to snow.

However, Quebec City schools operated by the Centre de services scolaire de la Capitale were kept open despite the blowing snow advisory, according to a news statement published early Monday morning.

The City of Montreal asked residents to work from home on Monday, if possible, and leave their houses only for essential travel and use public transportation.

Tips on how to ride out the blizzard, including making sure emergency exits around dwellings are cleared, are available on the City of Montreal website.