Quebec’s Abitibi region buried by March storm estimated to bring up to 50 cm of snow

MONTREAL — A March storm forecast to bring up to 50 centimetres of snow and freezing rain to Quebec’s Abitibi-Témiscamingue region closed schools and suspended municipal services on Monday.

The city of Rouyn-Noranda, about 500 kilometres northwest of Montreal, said its offices were closed, garbage pickup was suspended and buses weren’t running because of the heavy snow.

About 100 km east, Val d’Or, Que., closed several municipal buildings, while schools and businesses across the area also shut for the day. The regional health authority said some home visits could be postponed and people who couldn’t make it to medical appointments wouldn’t be treated as no-shows.

Lebel-sur-Quévillon, 120 kilometres northeast of Val d’Or, closed its local airport after receiving nearly 45 cm of snow by mid-afternoon, Mayor Guy Lafrenière said in a phone interview.

“We already had three, four feet of snow (on the ground), so now it’s an extra foot,” he said. Lafrenière said his town, in the Nord-du-Québec region, is used to winter weather in March, but said wild temperature swings were adding extra challenges for crews and residents.

“We had a lot of snow, then it rained this afternoon, (then) -17 C tonight so it’s going to be difficult,” he said. “We’re leaving a little snow on the ground to absorb the rain so it doesn’t become ice, but this evening we absolutely have to clear as soon as it starts to cool down.”

Environment Canada meteorologist Julien Pellerin said some areas had already received about 30 cm of snow by noon. The federal agency issued an orange winter storm warning for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, warning that visibility could be reduced to near zero at times.

He said some less-populated areas could get up to 50 cm; although the number is likely to be closer to 40 cm in cities and towns.

The snow switched to freezing rain in some areas, but was forecast to change back to snow later in the day.

Pellerin said Monday’s snow dump was “a big one,” but stressed that March storms aren’t unusual. “It happens often that we see those kind of systems swipe through Quebec bringing different kinds of precipitation, from snow to freezing rain to rain,” he said.

The forecast in the affected regions is mostly expected to stay at or below zero until early-April, reducing the chances of flooding, he said, even if it may be unwelcome news for those hoping for an early spring.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2026.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press