Warm and windy Christmas Eve forecast for Montreal

New season, same weather. December through the years has provided Montreal with many different types of weather, but none quite like 2015. With at least 3 record highs in the month and perhaps the warmest overnight lows ever for December, it will rank up there as one of our warmest. This is in sharp contrast to previous years including December 2012 shown above. (ValleyWX Photo)

Strong low pressure lifting into the western Great Lakes, along with high pressure anchored off the east coast will provide southern Quebec with the warmest Christmas Eve on record. The record for the date in Montreal is 8.3C (48F) set in 1957, this will be shattered with a forecast high of 16C (61F) expected in Montreal for Thursday. Hundreds of record highs will likely fall from the eastern Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada and down the east coast of the US.

Before then, we have fog and showers to deal with today. Dense fog this morning stretches across southern Ontario into southern Quebec and New England. A fog advisory has been issued by Environment Canada. The fog should lift by the late morning with a breezy, mild day expected and a high of 7C (45F). Temperatures will continue to rise overnight with the record likely being broken before the sun even comes up on Thursday. Christmas Eve will  be very windy with showers and perhaps even a rumble of thunder. Temperatures fall in the evening with lows expected near the freezing point by Christmas morning. At this time Christmas Day looks partly sunny and cooler with a high of 5C (41F), still well above the normal high of -4C (25F).

Storm next week?
We can expect an active and colder weather pattern to begin taking shape early next week. Several stronger winter storms are forecast to develop in the southern US, moving northeast and affecting the the Midwest and Great Lakes. We have several chances for precipitation at this time. It is early, but we may be looking at a snow and rain mix with perhaps and extended period of freezing rain late Monday and Tuesday. It is also possible that the mild air will win over once again and it will fall as rain. I will post much more on that scenario tomorrow.