Winter storm closes schools, cancels flights in Quebec [Video]

Major snowfall has disrupted travel plans, closed schools and shuttered some city services in parts of Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces on Thursday, as communities dug out from upwards of 20 centimetres as the storm headed deeper into Eastern Canada.

In Quebec, where Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECC) says between 25 and 40 centimetres of snow could fall before the end of the day, many school boards had announced closures even before the storm began.

Most arrivals and departures at Montreal-Trudeau airport were affected by the weather, with either delays or cancellations. The airport reminded passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Transport Quebec warned of dangerous road conditions, calling on motorists to avoid non-essential travel.

On Wednesday, the federal weather agency warned a major winter storm was expected to hit southern Quebec overnight with up to 40 centimetres of snow expected by Thursday evening.