Friday, November 07, 2014

Winter on our doorsteps in southern Quebec

Winter weather is closing in on southern Quebec and metro Montreal. We have managed to miss the snowflakes this fall as well as a general frost here in the city. That will end this weekend and into next week. This mornings storm system over the east coast is giving southern Quebec light rain and snow mixed. Temperatures in Montreal are chilly at 3C (39F) and they won't warm much today. Some snow is falling over the Ottawa Valley, east of Quebec City and over the higher elevations of the Townships and Vermont. Any precipitation will be light and should end by noon. Temperatures under partly cloudy skies will be cold tonight down to -3C (27F). On Saturday clouds will increase as another system moves from Ontario into Quebec. A period of light rain or wet snow is possible with perhaps 2-4cm across the Laurentians and into the Ottawa Valley. By next week a strong arctic front will cross the region by Tuesday with low pressure developing in the Ohio Valley and moving northeast. There is a threat for rain changing to accumulating snow on Tuesday in Montreal, southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. We will have to monitor the progress of this system.

This morning wet snow is falling across northern Maine, western New Brunswick and the Gaspe. Warnings are posted as upwards of 15-30cm (6-12 inches) are possible. Schools are closed and power outages are likely in the same area that was hard hit by last weekends storm. Reporting stations along the northern Maine and New Brunswick border are at or below freezing this morning with snow falling. It will continue most of the day.

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