Freezing Rain Warning

Strong low pressure is rapidly moving across the Midwest from Colorado this evening and will pass very close to Montreal on Monday. Warm air is streaming north with the storm, but cold air remains well in place in our region. A stubborn northeast wind in the St. Lawrence Valley may prevent the warm air from reaching the surface on Monday. Therefore Environment Canada has posted a Freezing Rain Warning for Montreal and southern Quebec. Precipitation will begin overnight in the form of snow and transition to freezing rain by Monday morning and perhaps a period of rain in the afternoon before tapering off to flurries late in the day. Several hours of freezing rain and mixed precipitation is likely especially in the St. Lawrence Valley, along with strong gusty winds up to 50km/h. North of the city in St. Jerome and Lachute, and in the Ottawa Valley it looks like snow will be the main precipitation type. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect in those areas for 15-20cm of snow. Before the transition to freezing rain Montreal may get a quick 5-10cm.

South of the city less than 5cm of snow is expected before the freezing rain and then rain by the noon hour, especially along the US border and into northern New York and Vermont. Further south and west across the lower lakes from Niagara to Windsor, 15-25mm of heavy rain is forecast with some thunderstorms as well. South of the lakes in the Ohio Valley and southern plains, severe weather and flooding is likely with this storm.

Travel will be greatly impacted on Monday morning so plan ahead accordingly. I will update this storm later tonight and very early Monday morning.