Cold start in Montreal...again

Happy Earth Day

Winter just won't let go here in Montreal and across a big portion of the country. While the last of the snow has melted away, it remain very chilly for late April. Temperatures over the weekend struggled to clear the single digits with periods of snow showers on Saturday. This morning we dropped to -3C with yet another widespread frost and freeze. Temperatures under sunny skies will warm back up to 13C today here in Montreal. It will be a decent week with showers forecast for Wednesday but otherwise dry. Temperatures will continue to be at or slightly below normal with highs in the 13 to 17C range and lows warming from 0C tonight to plus 5 or 6C for the balance of the week. The rain Wednesday will be along a cold front. That same system will bring more showers to the waterlogged Midwest and central Ontario.

Major flood waters inundate a home on Sunday near Burnt River, Ontario north of Lindsey. (CTV News)

The big weather story this weekend came from the aftermath of last weeks storm. The major low pressure that swept from the southern plains across the Midwest produced 1 to 3 inches of rainfall from Missouri into Ontario. That combined with rapid snow melt is producing major flooding from the Dakotas across Illinois and into the Ohio Valley. The flooding has also extended in central Ontario. Cottage country north of Toronto around Bracebridge, Huntsville and Kawartha Lakes has been hard hit with near record flooding. Several central Ontario communities have been declared disaster areas after the flood waters destroyed homes and washed away roads over the weekend.

First Tornado
Environment Canada has declared that the strong thunderstorm that produced damage near Shelburne, Ontario last Thursday spawned the first tornado of the 2013 season in Canada. The storm was an EF-1 capable of winds in excess of 135km/h up to 175km/h. The tornado downed hydro lines, poles, trees, and tore the roof off a barn.