MONTREAL — A significant snowfall in Quebec has left approximately 316,000 homes and businesses without electricity. The outages occurred before noon on Sunday as heavy snow caused trees to fall, leading to school closures and dangerous road conditions.

Environment Canada reported that a low-pressure system brought a mix of rain, freezing rain, and snow to southern Quebec. The province's hydro utility explained that the weight of the snow on tree leaves caused branches to break and fall onto power lines.

The Montérégie region, located south of Montreal, was hit the hardest, with over 100,000 customers experiencing power outages by late morning. Other affected areas included Montreal, Centre-du-Québec, and Lanaudière, where tens of thousands of residents were also without power.

The snowfall has created hazardous driving conditions, raising concerns as the province approaches its December 1 deadline for drivers to install winter tires. Authorities are urging caution on the roads as cleanup efforts continue and power restoration is underway.