A major winter storm coated southern Quebec in ice on Monday, December 29, 2025, cutting off electricity to tens of thousands of Hydro-Québec customers. The province grappled with treacherous conditions as freezing rain and strong winds triggered widespread power failures, particularly in the regions surrounding Montreal.
Widespread Blackouts Hit Hardest in the Laurentians
By 10:30 a.m., the scale of the disruption became clear. Hydro-Québec's outage map reported approximately 20,000 customers across the province were in the dark. The Laurentians region bore the brunt of the damage, accounting for roughly half of all outages with about 10,000 customers affected. The Montreal area followed with 4,800 outages, and neighbouring Laval reported 2,400.
While some outages on the island of Montreal were planned for grid maintenance, weather-related failures hit at the neighbourhood level, especially in the West Island. The storm's impact was felt on the streets, where residents like 76-year-old Marcel Levesque were seen scraping thick ice from their cars, and parents, such as Amine Gamsi, navigated slippery sidewalks with their children.
Province Blanketed by Severe Weather Warnings
Environment Canada had issued serious alerts ahead of the storm. Much of southern Quebec, including Montreal, was under an orange freezing-rain warning, indicating a prolonged period of ice pellets and freezing rain from Sunday night through late Monday. A separate yellow wind warning was also in effect, forecasting gusts potentially reaching 90 kilometres per hour later in the day.
The combination created a perfect storm for power outages, as ice accumulation weighs down and can break power lines and tree limbs. Authorities strongly advised against non-essential travel, noting that while major highways saw lighter traffic, side streets were particularly treacherous.
Ongoing Challenges and Forecast
The immediate aftermath saw crews scrambling to restore power amidst difficult conditions. The day's high was expected to reach only plus-1 degree Celsius, offering little melting relief, with temperatures poised to plunge to minus-12 overnight. The forecast called for more flurries on Tuesday, suggesting a slow recovery for affected areas.
The storm underscored the vulnerability of infrastructure to severe winter weather and the rapidity with which conditions can deteriorate. As Quebecers bundled up and hoped for a swift restoration of power, the event served as a stark reminder of winter's disruptive potential in the region.
