Montreal: An extraordinary cold snap swept across vast swaths of Canada on Saturday, engulfing Quebec, the Prairie provinces, Ontario, and parts of the Atlantic provinces, causing massive disruption to air travel with numerous delays and cancellations at major airports.

According to Qatar News Agency, Canadian media reported that temperatures plunged to around -38 °C in eastern Quebec, while parts of the Prairies experienced record-low temperatures approaching -55 °C, driven by a frigid Arctic air mass descending from the North Pole.

Airlines explained that the severe cold snap led to widespread flight delays and cancellations due to the additional time required to de-ice aircraft and thoroughly inspect take-off equipment to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

At Toronto's Pearson Airport, 171 flights were canceled, and a further 22 flights were scrapped at Montr©al-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, reflecting the unprecedented operational pressures on Canada's busiest aviation hubs.

Environment and Climate Change Canada confirmed that Ontario is bracing for an expansive freeze, with feels-like temperatures in Toronto and Ottawa expected between -30 °C and -40 °C, noting that such abnormal cold snaps compound operational strain and require extra time for risk management to safeguard flights.

Meanwhile, in the United States, a severe winter storm has triggered wide-ranging travel chaos, resulting in the cancellation of more than 3,600 flights and delays to over 9,000 flights nationwide as of Saturday morning, including Canada-bound flights.