Christmas Under Snow: Travel on the roads will be difficult

A major winter storm is headed for Quebec Thursday evening and threatens to spoil the holiday season as Quebecers prepare to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.

A low pressure system with strong winds will leave heavy snow or rain in its path across all parts of the province, with freezing rain at places.

There will be significant waterlogging in the south of the province on Friday, while strong winds with gusts in excess of 70km/h could persist into Saturday, making roads slippery and making travel difficult on Christmas Day.

Environment Canada, which has issued a winter storm warning, is predicting significant snow in the center and east of the province, but less rain in areas near the St. Lawrence River.

Also, the federal agency is advising people to avoid hitting the road during the day Friday and postponing travel until Saturday afternoon as the bulk of the storm has already passed.

The mercury will rise on Friday, but temperatures will drop sharply on Saturday, while fog is expected in many areas, where snow will disrupt travel.