Saturday, January 19, 2013

High Winds & Snowsqualls for Montreal

Plowing the 10-15cm of snow in the Montreal borough of LaSalle on Saturday. (ValleyWX)
High Wind Warning: Montreal, St. Lawrence Valley, Northern New York and Vermont.
Snow Squall Watch: Montreal and southern Quebec

We have a very active weekend in the weather department with a dangerous cold front expected to cross the St. Lawrence Valley on Sunday. Today we had a decent amount of snow as an Alberta Clipper passed very close to Montreal. Accumulations across the city ranged from 10-15cm (4-6 inches) with more to the north and less south to the US border. Travel was poor with numerous accidents early in the day. It is mild at 6pm with temperatures around 0C here on L'Ile Perrot with very light freezing drizzle falling. Precipitation will increase in coverage once again this evening as another clipper system with an associated warm front crosses the region. We will see a mix of rain and snow in Montreal and all snow north of the city.

On Sunday a powerful cold front will approach Ottawa in the morning and Montreal by the noon hour. The front will increase winds out of the west and southwest and eventually the northwest between 50-90 km/h, lowering to 30-50 km/h by sunset. Snow squalls will develop along the arctic boundary with up to 5cm expected. It may fall heavily briefly along with the high winds reducing visibility, travel will not be good on area highways. In addition to all this, the mercury will plummet from early highs of plus 2C down to -11C in a very short period of time, icing roads. By evening skies will clear but it will remain windy and cold with lows down to -19C and wind chill values down to -30C. The upcoming week will be very cold with highs in the minus teens and lows in the minus 20's.

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