A cyclist makes his way along a path beside the Rideau Canal Skate Way in Ottawa on Monday, January 5, 2015. Within the last 24 hours the nation's capital has gone from freezing rain and above zero temperatures into a deep freeze and frostbite warnings.Sean Kilpatrick
Treacherous freezing rain, snow and power outages are greeting Canadians in multiple provinces on Monday, after an Arctic air mass sent parts of Ontario and the Prairies into a deep freeze over the weekend.
Here's what's happened so far, and what to expect:
- Atlantic Canada: Environment Canada has warned of extreme cold in parts of New Brunswick, while St. John’s is bracing against potentially damaging strong winds.
- Quebec: Thousands were still without power in Quebec on Monday after freezing rain in the Montreal area left as many as 150,000 people in the dark on Sunday.
- Ontario: Southern Ontario residents can expect a “deep freeze” as the work week begins, with temperatures plunging to -20 C in some parts, Environment Canada says.
- Prairies: Extreme cold warnings were in effect in parts of Alberta and southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg, where wind chills were predicted at -40 or even lower.
- B.C.: British Columbians faced slippery driving conditions, power outages and higher avalanche risks on Monday after a Pacific storm dumped snow and freezing rain on much of the province over the weekend.
Check Environment Canada's public weather alerts for your region
ONTARIO: PREPARE FOR A DEEP FREEZE
Torontonians were in for the coldest weather so far this winter, Environment Canada said Monday morning – and the week ahead may offer more of the same.
Environment Canada has also placed a stretch of the province from the Grey-Bruce area to east of Ottawa under freezing rain and winter storm warnings.
Hamilton issued a cold alert effective Sunday night.
B.C.: SNOWFALL AND SLIPPERY STREETS
Snow and freezing rain dumped on British Columbia by a winter storm is continuing to wreak havoc across the province.
Environment Canada has issued about two dozen weather warnings, and the provincial government's DriveBC website is advising drivers about a high avalanche hazard in the southeast.
Crews are working on a 33.7-kilometre stretch of Highway 1 near Revelstoke that was closed overnight because of avalanche risk. The hazard also closed two separate stretches of Highway 13 near Trout Lake and Meadow Creek, and a 27-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 west of Creston.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro is in the process of restoring power to thousands of customers, including more than 10,000 who were experiencing outages in the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.
QUEBEC: SNOW, THEN FREEZING RAIN
Hydro-Quebec said 2,012 households remained without power as of 2:30 p.m. Monday, after power outages caused by freezing rain the night before.
Many roads and sidewalks throughout the province remain treacherous, while there is still considerable ice buildup on tree branches and power lines.
The snow and freezing rain also caused problems on the roads, with Quebec Provincial Police reporting at least 100 accidents in areas it patrols. A young woman was killed in one of the accidents in the eastern Quebec community of Trois-Pistoles.