Mild air to return to Ontario and Quebec

Please take time today to remember the 14 women who were killed at the Ecole Polytechnique here in Montreal on December 6, 1989, as well as all victims of violence against women. It is up to us to make a difference.

The weather has been so changeable this year that the ice remains very dangerous all over southern Quebec. Already one fatality has been reported from a person going through the ice. The simple rule at this time is stay off it. Here is an interesting graphic from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on what weight can be supported by the ice.

In a follow up to my where is the winter comments yesterday, it was -58F in Tok, Alaska on Wednesday morning. That is beyond cold, what else can you say. So there, that is where winter is this year. Montreal meanwhile managed to squeeze out a few flurries form the atmosphere on Wednesday, hardly enough to measure. It is now December 6 and we are awaiting our first measurable snow of the season. It is cold enough this morning as we have tumbled down on this roller coaster ride to -6C here in Montreal with -10C in Ottawa (just 36 hours after record highs of 18C). Today will be sunny and chilly with highs around -3C. On Friday a frontal boundary will set us up for another round of snow/rain and freezing rain into Saturday morning. Amounts look very light but there may be enough to make travel a little slippery into the overnight hours Friday. Temperatures will warm to 2 or 3C. By Saturday afternoon skies will break a little before the next stronger system arrives on Sunday. At this time a decent amount of precipitation is forecast from late Sunday into Monday around the region, perhaps as much as 25mm (1 inch water equivalent). It looks like a snow rain mix over to all rain once again as temperatures warm to well above freezing on Monday. There will pockets of freezing rain especially up towards Quebec City and into the Ottawa Valley. Warnings may be needed on Monday.

That is cold. Minus 40F (-40C) is where Celsius meets our US neighbor. Either way you prefer, it is cold! This photo is from Twitter account aksnowbug via accuweather.com.