Several Montreal-area school boards and institutions have announced closures as the biggest winter storm of the season cloaks the city in snow. Hundreds of flights out of Montreal have also been cancelled.

Snow began falling overnight in Montreal, and was expected to continue until midday and gradually ease. Flights were cancelled and delayed at the airports in Montreal and Quebec City on Thursday, and the province's transport agency warned of dangerous road conditions,

Widespread winter storm warnings have been issued for most of southern Quebec, eastern and southern Ontario and adjacent New York and New England. Travel will be very difficult on Sunday in all regions.

A major winter storm disrupted travel plans, closed schools and shuttered city services across Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces Thursday, as communities dug out from a wintry cocktail that brought upwards of 20 centimetres of snow.