Schools were closed and bus service was reduced in Montreal on Monday as the province digs out after a massive storm that dumped nearly half a metre of snow on Central and Eastern Canada.

About 400 flights were cancelled at the Trudeau Airport on the weekend, stranding hundreds of travellers, including these students from Ottawa.
(Peter McCabe/Canadian Press)

School boards in Montreal extended March Break by one day for students, cancelling classes because of the difficult driving conditions.

Many streets are barely passable, with high snowbanks pinching access. While snow-clearing crews have been out in force since Sunday, progress is slow.

The Montreal Transit Corp. extended rush hour service to 10 a.m. Monday, running more cars on subway lines because of reduced bus service due to road conditions, which were "difficult," said spokeswoman Marianne Rouette.

"Some streets on which our buses pass usually [were] blocked. That translates into 50 reroutings so that added delays to the bus schedule."

The MTC is encouraging people to take the subway and not the bus to reduce pressure on peak routes until some of the snow is carted away.

Quebec City is on its way to setting a snowfall record this winter.
(Photo courtesy of Steve Roy)

Air travel at the Trudeau International Airport was still difficult after about 400 flights were grounded on the weekend.

Several flights were delayed Monday as the airport tried to catch up on the backlog, which may take as long as two days, authorities said.

Train travel was also affected by the storm with Via Rail reporting delays of up to an hour along the Windsor-Quebec City corridor because of snow-covered tracks. Delays could be even longer for destinations east of Quebec City, the rail agency said.

Snowfall nears record

The storm dumped 30 centimetres on Montreal, between 40 and 50 cm in Central Quebec (Mauricie), between 35 and 40 cm in the Lanaudière region, and 37 cm in Quebec City, where this winter's snowfall is close to breaking the record set in 1966.

A narrow Montreal-style staircase is choked with snow.
(Photo courtesy of Dan Pinese)

The province's capital has received 450 cm of snow this winter, just shy of the record 458 cm that fell in 1965-1966.

The storm brought snow, freezing rain and sleet to the Eastern Townships.

Environment Canada said winds as high as 133 km/h roared through some areas during the peak of the storm, creating snowdrifts on highways and major roads.

The Montreal fire department is urging homeowners to clear snow from their roofs, or get someone to do it because too much accumulation could be dangerous.

"If we start getting freezing rain and we start getting rain, this snow will absorb a lot of weight and the roofs are not made to hold that much weight," said Montreal Fire Department chief of operations Aimé Charette.

Snow days won't mean longer year, says English school board

Classes are cancelled at the following school boards and schools:

• English Montreal School Board (EMSB).
• Lester B. Pearson School Board.
• Commission scolaire de Montréal (schools are closed but daycares are open).
• Marguerite Bourgeoys School Board.
• Commission scolaire Pointe-de-l'ile.

Parents with students in private schools should check with their institutions to see whether classes are scheduled as usual Monday.

The EMSB said the harsh winter has caused some problems for teachers who are juggling lesson plans now that they've lost three regular school days to snowstorms.

But it's unlikely the board will add extra days at the end of year because schools have a number of professional days they can use at their discretion, said EMSB spokesman Mike Cohen.

If that doesn't work out, school boards can also appeal to the province for special dispensation and "the government can just give permission for us to have less days of school," he said.