Montreal

2 more deaths attributed to Quebec's fierce winter storm

Two more people have died in the aftermath of this week's powerful storm that swept across Quebec, bringing the total death count to at least six.

Cleanup continues after 40-70 cm of snow falls on province this week

The man was found inside the gold car, pictured, parked on 16e Avenue in LaSalle. A shovel was found in a snowbank nearby. (Alexandre Letendre/CBC)

Two more people have died in the aftermath of the powerful snowstorm that swept across Quebec Tuesday, bringing the total death count to at least six.

A 50-year-old woman died after she was hit by a tractor pulling a snow blower at around 4 a.m. in Saint-Valère, about 46 kilometres northeast of Drummondville.

And, around 8 a.m., an 88-year-old man was found dead in his parked car in Montreal's LaSalle borough.

Montreal police spokesperson Const. Daniel Lacoursière said it's believed the man had a medical emergency while shovelling his car out.

Urgences-Santé spokesperson Benoit Garneau said when the elderly man was found, his body was rigid, indicating he had been in the car for a number of hours.

The storm brought 40 centimetres of snow to the Montreal area and upwards of 70 centimetres to other regions. 

The weather led to numerous accidents and road closures, and roughly 300 vehicles ended up stuck for hours on a stretch of Highway 13 in Montreal overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.

Cleanup will take at least 6 days

On the island of Montreal, most schools are open again today.

A major cleanup is underway, however, city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said it will take a minimum of six days to clear the buildup of snow that started falling Tuesday morning.

High winds during the storm meant there were big mounds of snow in some areas. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

He advises drivers make sure they park their cars according to the signage.

"By doing that, they will help the city to be more efficient with the operation," and they'll avoid getting a ticket, Sabourin said.

He said the fact that Montrealers have been staying off the streets so far has helped the city's snow-clearing efforts.

The city has a website that allows citizens to track the progress of the operations.

With files from Elysha Enos, Simon Nakonechny and Radio-Canada's Jean-François Dumas