Hot end to winter



Record crowds turned out in record heat for the annual Montreal St. Patrick's Day parade on Sunday. (The Montreal Gazette)

I have to keep reminding myself repeatedly that is is March, it is March. This is unreal, never before in my 25 plus years of following Montreal weather have I seen it this warm, this early. Montreal soared to 23.1C on Sunday, smashing the record of 14.1C set back in 2010. We joined a long, long list of communities from Manitoba to New Brunswick and Quebec to the Midwest and southern US that also enjoyed record heat. Ottawa reached 25C, obliterating their record of 16C set in 1966. Cornwall and Kemptville also posted record highs yesterday as did Burlington, Vermont at 76F. Keep in mind the normal high temperature for March 18 is a lonely 4C (39F). Montreal this morning is already at 12C, so we should very easily surpass today's record high also set in 2010 at 15.7C. As a matter of fact winter ends today and spring starts tomorrow, but really it will be summer like for the balance of the week with temperatures in the low to mid 20's through Thursday before more "normal" weather arrives by next weekend.

A few stray showers or perhaps a thunderstorm could occur today across Eastern Ontario into upstate New York today, but I think Montreal should remain dry. Cooler overnight temperatures promote the development of fog each morning so be aware of that when driving. Highs on Tuesday should be even warmer around 22C with the possibility of 26C or close to 80F for places like Kemptville and Ottawa by Wednesday.

**Anyone who has a glance at my weather data from here on L'Ile Perrot, I just want to let you know my humidity sensor is stuck at 98%. I am working on fixing it, but for now that data is wrong. Everything else is good.