More than 305,000 Hydro-Québec customers were left without electricity as a powerful weather system swept through the province on March 17, 2026. The Montérégie region was the most affected, with over 85,000 subscribers experiencing outages due to strong winds.
Wind gusts were forecasted to reach up to 90 km/h, with some areas experiencing even stronger gusts of up to 120 km/h. This severe weather prompted Hydro-Québec to deploy over 1,100 workers to assist in restoring power to affected areas.
As the storm progressed, schools in various regions were closed, and residents faced rapidly changing temperatures, with Montreal’s temperature plummeting from 14 °C to -8 °C. A winter storm warning was issued for several regions, including Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as the weather system began impacting the province on the evening of March 16.
According to Environnement et Changements climatique Canada, “Les vents diminueront graduellement en mi-journée,” indicating that the winds would gradually decrease by midday. However, the effects of the storm were already being felt, with Paule Veilleux-Turcotte noting, “On commence déjà à en voir les effets sur la végétation et sur le réseau,” referring to the visible impacts on vegetation and the electrical grid.
Jean-Boulet stated, “Hydro‑Québec gère actuellement la situation alors que les fortes rafales ont déjà commencé à provoquer des pannes,” emphasizing that Hydro-Québec was managing the situation as strong gusts had already begun causing outages. Environnement Canada also warned that “Des pannes de courant sont possibles par endroits,” highlighting the potential for further power outages in various locations.
As the storm continues, residents are advised to stay updated on the situation and prepare for possible additional disruptions. The weather conditions are expected to bring 5-10 additional centimeters of snow, complicating recovery efforts.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding the full extent of the damage and the timeline for restoring power to all affected customers. Hydro-Québec continues to work diligently to address the outages and restore normalcy to the impacted regions.
