Weekend Update

Tornado damage near Dexter, Michigan on Thursday. ABC News

A warm front remains to the west of Montreal this morning with rain and some thunderstorm activity affecting eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Eventually, and I really hope it is today, that warm front will lift northeast of Montreal and we will enjoy what is looking like a record breaking, sunny weekend. Temperatures continue cool in the St. Lawrence Valley with current readings at 1C, pretty much where it has been all night. Literally thousands of record highs are being broken across the Midwest, Great Lakes and east coast. That warm air will surge into Montreal by Sunday with highs forecast around 20C. I believe places like Kemptville, ON away from the water may see highs push 24 or 25C on Sunday and Monday. If we can hold a backdoor cold front at bay on Monday we will enjoy a warm week next week. We will have to wait and see because at this time of year, temperature forecasts are tricky, heavily influenced by the snow cover to our northeast and the cold waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Time will tell, but in any event it will be a sunny and dry weekend with temperatures well above normal for March, and great weather expected for Sunday's St. Patricks Day parade in Montreal.

This warmth will break many records not only for daytime highs, but also overnight lows, duration of heat, and in many places the warmest readings so early in the season. Remember it is still winter, and no really cold air is on the menu into next week. How unusual is this weather? Well yesterday heavy thunderstorms were moving across Michigan and into southwest Ontario. They produced hail, damaging winds and several tornadoes. Hail was even reported near Ottawa.