Arctic Cold for Montreal

This was the last hour here at my home in west end metro Montreal, it has since dropped one more degree to -28C (-18F).

No matter how you look at it, the weather is just plain cold in Montreal today. Currently I am showing -28C here on L'Ile Perrot the coldest it has been all winter, and last winter as well. All the usual bad things you would expect with temperatures this cold are becoming a reality this morning. There are numerous accidents on area bridges and highways due to black ice. Power consumption is at record levels according to Hydro Quebec, and they are asking us to conserve where we can. About 7000 homes are without power this morning in the lower Laurentians. Lastly we have a water main break at Galt Avenue and Wellington in Verdun - so lots and lots of ice on those streets. The forecast today is very simple, cold. Arctic high pressure will crest over the region with highs only reaching -21C, combine that with a brisk northwest wind and wind chill values are close to -40C.

Windchill warnings are in effect across southern Quebec and into northern New York and Vermont today. Look for cold overnight lows down to -23C. Tomorrow will be just a little milder up to -16C but with a biting northwest wind to 50km/h lowering wind chill readings once again close to -40C.