In pictures: Major snow, ice storm rips through five provinces

CTV National News: Ottawa covered in freezing rain Kevin Gallagher reports on freezing rain in Ottawa causing havoc on the roads and cutting power to at least five transit trains.

A major storm system that hit Ontario and Quebec left downed trees and people without power Thursday morning.

The relentless storm covered the two provinces in freezing rain late Wednesday and continued eastward towards Canada's Atlantic coast. At the storm’s peak, Environment Canada issued warnings to five provinces due to the mix of precipitation and dangerous conditions.

The system started in Manitoba, dumping roughly 15 centimetres of snow on southern communities, closing schools and highways, before travelling into northwestern Ontario by early Wednesday.

The storm changed over to freezing rain for portions of Ontario, leaving Ottawa covered in about 38.5 millimetres of ice, which brought down trees and left tens of thousands without power.

The ice storm also left one million Quebec households without power, with Hydro-Quebec estimating that it could take up to 36 hours to restore power in some areas.

On Thursday morning, officials said one-third of the customer base should have power restored within 24 hours. The issues are concentrated in the Montreal area.

Here are some photos of the Colorado low storm system that continues to impact many communities across Canada:

A fallen tree lies on top of a car A fallen tree lies on top of a car in Montreal, Thursday, April 6, 2023 after an ice storm left more than a million customers without power in Quebec. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

@MurphTWN @NateTWN @weathernetwork Kind of having a 'frozen' moment here in @KingstonNS this morning. #shareyourweather #icestorm pic.twitter.com/RuBK3zDt8Q

— Karen Cook (@KarenCookPhotos) April 6, 2023

car after a tree came down A person checks out their car after a tree came down around it, blocking the road, after a storm brought freezing rain in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Ice pellets and maybe some freezing rain mixed in, around 17:45ADT in #FrederictonJunction #nbstorm #JMCLife pic.twitter.com/IiR8Ux6mUn

— Kenneth Braedley (@KBraedley) April 5, 2023

Ice drips from light fixtures Ice drips from light fixtures above a restaurant's patio as freezing rain falls in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

Ice storm in Quebec. 1.4million people without power. #icestorm2023 #icestorm pic.twitter.com/CrNDzOljQZ

— DB (@CanadaKenyaDad) April 6, 2023

 

Icicles drip from a bicycle Icicles drip from a bicycle locked to a signpost after a storm brought freezing rain in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

🎥 A video from one of our current calls.

‼️Please stay far away from all downed wires & treat all wires as if they are live.‼️#Ottawa #OttCity #IceStorm #OttNews #OttawaStorm #OttawaIceStorm pic.twitter.com/e5jfmcy9Ct

— Ottawa Fire Services (@OttFire) April 5, 2023

 

 

@tylercarrfm 😭❄️😭❄️ #winnipeg #manitoba #canada #winnipegmanitoba #snow #wpg #mb ♬ original sound - Tyler Carr