Toronto: Life came to a stand still across Eastern Canada which witnessed a massive winter storm for over a week causing power disruptions and heavy traffic jams.

Ottawa area recorded the heaviest snowfall of 52 centimetres followed by Toronto and Montreal. "It's a mammoth storm," said Environment Canada climatologist David Phillips. Phillips said that the storm included everything winter has to offer -- gusting winds, below-freezing temperatures, icy rain, sleet and snow.

Hundreds of flights in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal were cancelled although the airports were open. Some ferry services were also scrapped. A day after Ontario and Quebec endured high-speed winds and heavy snow, more than 80,000 homes and businesses were temporarily left without light. Hydro-Quebec said Monckton, Cape Breton, southwestern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were affected after experiencing heavy rains.

"It was a serious storm here, the rain just fell in unbelievable amounts and the wind was really high," said Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Glennie Langille. Few parts of the Maritime provinces on the Atlantic coast had already been hit with nearly 40 centimetres of snow in the first wave of the storm early yesterday, but still had to contend with forecasts of freezing rain and flurries.

Ontario and Quebec received little snow yesterday but the accumulation from the previous two days kept residents, snowplows and tow trucks busy.

Source : PTI