Spring storm across much of Eastern Canada, Power outages spread in Quebec, Ontario

More than 274,000 Hydro Quebec customers are in the dark this morning as a significant spring storm rolls through the region.

According to the utility’s web-based outage map, the affected area ranges from near Gatineau to Montreal’s eastern suburbs.

Hydro One, in Ontario, is reporting that 46,359 of its customers have no electricity. However, a statement says its restoration crews have already restored power to some 125,000 customers since the storm began.

As of 6:00 a.m. Hydro Ottawa is only listing 63 customers affected.

Environment Canada issued snowfall warnings from much of the region, with as much as 25 centimetres expected.

Special advisories cover areas from southwestern Ontario to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where heavy wet snow can also be expected. In Nova Scotia’s south, a wind warning is also in effect, with gusts forecasted to top out around 90 kilometres per hour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: ADDS updated numbers, minor edits