Thunderstorms, snowstorms & tropical storms

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!

Thunderstorms develop over L'Ile Perrot on Saturday, May 9, in the first warm and humid air of the season. (ValleyWX Photo)

We have a very active weather day across North America this Sunday as a strong spring storm moves across the central plains of the US. To the east, warm and humid air is firing up thunderstorms from Texas to the Great Lakes, Ontario and southern Quebec. A dangerous outbreak of severe weather with tornadoes is occurring from Texas into parts of Iowa today. Meanwhile to the west, heavy wet snow and strong winds with blizzard conditions are affecting the Dakotas. Travel is not advised in western South Dakota this morning.

Montreal remains on the northern edge of the warm and humid air. We managed to reach 28C (83F) on Saturday before scattered thunderstorms swept the region. As is the fickle nature of thunderstorms, I measured only 0.4mm of rain Saturday on L'Ile Perrot, while Trudeau Airport had 9.8mm. Some areas of the city and Laval has even more as the storms were much stronger in those locations. More storms can be expected today as a frontal system sags south into southern Quebec. Today will be the last really warm day for a week or so as we hit 25C (77F). Cooler air and rain will move in overnight with a raw, chilly and rainy Monday expected with highs only near 10C (50F). On Tuesday more showers and thunderstorms are forecast along a warm front with a high of 23C (73F). Things should clear out by Wednesday.

MAY? A South Dakota DOT camera shows the heavy snow and strong winds over the western Dakotas this morning. Travel is not advised in heavy snow and 50mph winds.

The warmth this week was very sudden and confined mostly to eastern Ontario and southern Quebec as we had some of the warmest temperatures in Canada. On Friday, Montreal recorded a record high of  28.8C (the previous record was 28.7 in 2013), Sherbrooke 28.4C (27.2 in 2007), and St Anicet a scorching 31.2C (29.8 in 2013).

As if all this weather was not enough, an early season tropical storm developed off the South Carolina coast this week and moved into Myrtle Beach early this morning. Tropical storm Ana has 60mph winds as well as 2-4 inches of rainfall to the east of her track. Heavy surf is pounding the North and South Carolina coast this morning as the storm slowly weakens and drifts inland today.