More sunshine for Montreal

Our rather benign weather pattern continues over southern Quebec and eastern Ontario with a large area of high pressure locked in place and in control. The result has been a period of sunshine and dry weather that may begin to establish some records. We are not talking warm records here but rather hours of sunshine and lack of precipitation for any November. In a normal November around 71.2mm of precipitation occurs, so far in 2012 we have had only 8.8mm. This amounts to just a splash in the rain gauge. The other impressive stat will be hours of sunshine. On average Montreal records only 86 hours of sunshine for the month. November is typically the cloudiest month of the entire year. While I have not tabulated the stats, I can tell you we have had a full week of sunshine with another scheduled. That right there should be enough to surpass the normal. Temperatures have been cold at night and near normal for highs. That is pretty much what you would expect at this time of year with the current setup. Air quality has been poor with lots of smog and smoke from heating trapped at the lower levels of the atmosphere.

Sunshine will prevail for the balance of this week with just a few clouds around. Temperatures will warm from 4C today to near 8C by Thursday and Friday. Big changes are in store for the area beginning as early as next weekend. For starters we will see clouds increase with the chance of rain and snow by next Saturday. It will also turn much colder to end November with the coldest air so far this season expected to arrive by the first week of December.

A surreal photo from awesome photographer Don Bowers. This is the Atlantic Ocean invading North Carolina 12 on Hatteras Island at high tide on Sunday. (Don Bowers photo from Facebook/Island Breeze)

Not much weather to speak of across North America, with just storms on both coasts. The one along the southeast coast of the US continues to send high tides and heavy surf into the North Carolina and Virginia coastlines. Local officials are fighting a loosing battle with Highway 12 that follows the Outer Banks. I have traveled this road hundreds of times, and on a normal day the Atlantic is lapping up against the road in places. Since Hurricane Sandy, they have been trying to reopen the road on Hatteras Island with no luck. The road is the only link (other than the ferry) to the mainland for Islanders.