Storm dumps nearly 30 centimetres of snow on Montreal
Snowfall causes collisions, removal operations lead to gas leaks across city
There will likely be a lot of Montrealers complaining of sore arms and backs this afternoon, after spending the morning digging out from a record-breaking snowfall.
According to Environment Canada, 29 centimetres of snow fell on the greater Montreal area between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.
Sunday's snowfall broke the record by a hair — on Feb. 12,1998 Montreal was buried under 19.8 centimetres of snow, compared with the 20 centimetres that fell on the city before Monday morning.
Tales from the great dusting
Pearl Layne misplaced her shovel. With her three children late for school Monday morning, she decided to dig out her car with a dustpan.
"I wasn't prepared for this," she said, laughing.
Nichelle Skeet spent about an hour shovelling her sidewalk and clearing her car on Beaconsfield Avenue in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce this morning.
"It's a lot of work. I get to skip the gym today because I worked so hard," she said.
Jacques-Alain Lavallée, in charge of snow removal for the city, says workers were prepared.
Plows and other machines were sent out as soon as 2.5 centimetres of snow had fallen, he said.
It takes about four days to remove 20 centimetres of snow, he said, but we're expecting about 10 more centimetres Wednesday.
Snow removal caused gas leaks
Gaz Métro has confirmed snow removal operations led to three gas leaks on the island overnight.
All three, on Ottawa Street in Griffintown, on Rivard Street on the Plateau and on Savoie Street in Pierrefonds, were capped by about 8:30 a.m.
If you need a vehicle but don't like clearing snow, just buy a small car. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/storm?src=hash">#storm</a> <a href="https://t.co/rCkl51BPQp">pic.twitter.com/rCkl51BPQp</a>
—@TurnbullJaySpokesperson Noémie Prégent-Charlebois says heavy snow makes it difficult for snow removal vehicles to avoid outdoor natural gas outlets, and that people should try to clear them from snow and ice at all times.
The flights most affected at Trudeau airport are departures to and arrivals from Atlantic Canada, where the same system has brought blizzard conditions shutting down entire cities.
with files from Jay Turnbull and Lauren McCallum