Another storm on the horizon for southern Quebec

Hydro Quebec crews continue to work around the clock to restore power after the ice and snow of this past week. (Hydro Quebec Photo)

As of 2pm, the number of Quebec residents still without power from Wednesday's ice storm stands at 22,000. It has been a cold 24 hours for those still shivering in the dark, as temperatures dropped to the minus teens this morning and have only warmed to -8C this afternoon. As 450 Hydro Quebec crews continue the huge challenge of replacing poles and wires, the next winter storm is already on the horizon. High pressure will give southern Quebec clear skies this evening, with a low near -12C. Clouds will increase early Saturday morning, followed by light snow as a rather weak clipper system moves down the St. Lawrence Valley. A second stronger system will move along a nearly stationary front draped along the US border on Sunday, with another shot of snow for Montreal. We can expect a general 5-10cm of snow from both systems combined. Over the weekend, temperatures will climb to near the freezing point. It will be quite windy late Saturday, gusting up to 70km/h across the region.

The total customers without power from Wednesday's ice storm was down to 22,000 as of 2pm Friday. (Hydro Quebec Photo)

Another Icy Storm for Ontario and Quebec
Early next week, another major storm is forecast to develop over the southern US plains. It will move northeast towards Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Valley by late Tuesday. At this time, it appears to be a very similar setup to that of the last two Wednesday storms. We can expect a snow and freezing-rain mix, possibly changing to rain. It is too early to tell where, what type and exactly how much precipitation will fall, but significant amounts of ice are quite possible again in the St. Lawrence Valley.