Strong winds, colder temperatures to end week in Montreal

The setting sun reflects off a yellow maple on L'Ile Perrot Wednesday afternoon. The cold nights have forced the yellow maples to drop their leaves in bunches this week. Strong winds over the next 24 to 36 hours in Montreal should take care of most of the remaining leaves. (ValleyWeather Photo)

As far as November goes in Montreal, this second week has been rather spectacular. Sunshine and mild temperatures have prevailed during the daylight hours, with clear, cold nights. The trend appears to continue into the upcoming weekend and beyond, albeit with a little hiccup. A strong cold front is poised to cross the St. Lawrence Valley Thursday evening, ushering in the coldest air so far this fall. The cold will not last long, as temperatures begin to moderate by Sunday. Sunshine today will veil behind increasing clouds as the afternoon moves along. Temperatures will be rather mild, reaching 11C to 13C (52 to 55F) across the region. Winds will become rather strong today, gusting over 60km/h out of the southwest in the St. Lawrence Valley.

By evening, a few showers are possible, along with dropping temperatures as the front moves through. On Friday, we can expect windy and much colder conditions, with scattered flurries across eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. Winds will be strong once again, in excess of 50km/h, this time out of the northwest. Temperatures will remain steady, around 3C (38F). Skies will clear on Friday night, with the coldest night of the season so far expected. Lows bottom out around -6C (21F) by Saturday morning. The good news for the weekend is that high pressure will be in control, with sunshine and warming temperatures, 5C (41F) Saturday and 11C (52F) Sunday.

The next chance for rain will come on Tuesday. At this time,
no unseasonably cold air or snow is on the horizon for Montreal, through at least the middle of November.

Today is the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. You can read about this by clicking on the link on the upper left side of the page.