Perfect spring-weather weekend for Montreal

High pressure will produce a warm weekend in southern Quebec.

We have been waiting a long time for this weather, and it looks like a perfect spring weekend for anything outdoors. The last of the snow has melted and most people are now in the process of taking down temporary shelters and changing out winter tires. Many municipalities have begun sweeping the streets as well, always a good sign that spring is really here. After a rather cold and damp start to April, high pressure is now in control. Sunshine will dominate through late Sunday, along with high temperatures warming from 12C (54F) today up close to 18C (65F) by Sunday in Montreal. Some locations in Ontario and New England may flirt with 21C (70F) on Sunday. Overnight lows will remain at or just slightly below the freezing point. On Monday, a rather weak cold front will settle south across the region from central Quebec. Clouds will increase Monday, along with a chance for showers. Skies will clear Tuesday, with more sunshine and warm temperatures expected through the end of the week.

The weather is not so perfect everywhere. This morning, snow is falling in Halifax, as a coastal system moves into the Atlantic. Snow and freezing rain will spread across portions of Newfoundland later today. Across western Canada, a strong storm system is moving into North Dakota with a cold rain, and even some snow spreading into southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The April 15, 2007 Nor'Easter produced a record snowfall of 20 to 30cm across Ontario and Quebec. I took the photo above in Kemptville, Ontario where I was living at the time.

As a side-note, on this date in 2007, a strong Nor'Easter dumped 22cm of snow on Montreal, a record for the day. The heavy wet snow spread into eastern Ontario as well. Widespread power outages occurred, as strong winds brought down branches. The heavy snow also hit New England, along with major flooding and coastal damage from high waves and surf.