Arctic air arrives Sunday

The coldest air of the season so far arrives in Montreal late Sunday.

Happy New Year, 2016 marks the 37th year I have been recording the weather in Montreal. It is also the 11th year I have been blogging. Thank you for stopping by, I appreciate each one of you taking the time to read and comment.

A strong cold front will cross southern Quebec on Sunday ushering in the coldest air of the season. Temperatures have been hovering around the freezing point since our snowstorm on Tuesday. That will change late Sunday as temperatures fall rapidly along with snow squalls. The front will arrive in Montreal by early afternoon with temperatures falling to -15C (5F) by Monday morning. On Monday skies will become partly sunny, but it will be cold with a high temperature around -13C (9F) in Montreal. Monday night will be the coldest night so far this winter with lows near -18C (0F) in the city but into the minus 20's across the Laurentians and Townships.

As the cold front arrives Sunday, it will be accompanied by a period of steady snow and gusty winds. Up to 5cm is possible along the front, with road and visibility conditions deteriorating quickly. Keep this in mind if you have travel plans. Many are returning home Sunday, as the holiday period draws to a close. Temperatures will slowly moderate next week through Friday with no precipitation forecast. January at this time looks like an active month with much colder weather and periods of snow forecast. This month will not be a repeat of December.