Following a wave of freezing rain in Montreal — and across Quebec — that knocked out power for tens of thousands and disrupted transportation, many services are expected to return to normal on Thursday.

Still, some institutions say final decisions will only be made early Thursday morning as officials assess road conditions, lingering ice and power outages.

Here’s what to expect.

Schools and universities

Several institutions say they expect to reopen Thursday, though final decisions will be confirmed early in the morning depending on road conditions and any remaining power outages.

The English Montreal School Board and Western Quebec School Board said they expect schools to be open Thursday.

Other English-language school boards said they had not yet made a final decision as of Wednesday evening, including the Lester B. Pearson School Board, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, the Riverside School Board and the New Frontiers School Board.

All public elementary and high schools across the Montreal area closed Wednesday.

Universities, meanwhile, across Montreal are also expected to resume normal operations Thursday, though most said they will confirm early in the morning.

Public transit

Most public transit systems in the Montreal and Laval area are expected to run Thursday. That includes the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and Société de transport de Laval (STL).

The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) experienced significant disruptions Wednesday evening. Around 5:30 p.m., service between Brossard and Gare Centrale was suspended because of weather conditions. The operator said service would not resume before Thursday morning. Replacement shuttle buses were dispatched between South Shore stations, while trains continued to operate between Deux-Montagnes and Gare Centrale. The REM had already ended service early Tuesday night to allow crews to apply de-icing products to the rails ahead of the storm.

Parking

Montreal temporarily lifted several parking restrictions during the storm.

Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced that paid parking spaces and residential permit zones were suspended starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday as the freezing rain began. The suspension remains in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday, when normal parking rules are expected to return.

Reserved lanes, spaces for people with reduced mobility and secure zones remain enforced.

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport

Flights were largely expected to return to normal operations Thursday, according to airport information available Wednesday evening.

More than 180 arrivals and departures were cancelled Wednesday as freezing rain swept across the region.

Highways and roads

Roads are expected to be slippery Thursday, though the conditions Quebec’s transport ministry warned drivers to expect difficult conditions.

“Travel will be difficult due to slippery roads, reduced visibility, and likely road closures,” the ministry said in a message posted on Facebook.

Officials urged residents to limit travel where possible.

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