Another mild Holiday Season expected in Montreal

While the weather in Montreal won't be as frigid as it has been over the last week, it won't be as warm as last Christmas either. Expect mild temperatures, close to the freezing point, with scattered flurries or showers. A storm is possible by Boxing Day.

Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice occurred at 5:44 AM this morning, which means the amount of daylight slowly begins to increase moving forward. That is definitely something to look forward to on these dark, cold days of December. All the forecast models are pointing to a rather active weather period to end the year, but also a very mild one as well. While Montreal can expect above-normal temperatures over the next week to ten days, it will not be as mild as the record-breaking warmth we had last Christmas. To refresh your memory, the temperature reached 17.2C (63F) last December 24th. That was followed by 7.8C (48F) on Christmas Day.

Holiday Travel Forecast
This year, we are looking at a mild, southwest flow of air, producing temperatures from 0C to plus 3C (32F to 38F) for daytime highs, and around -5C (23F) for overnight lows, both well above the long-term average for the dates. The normal high and low should be -4C (25F)  and -12C (10F) respectively. As far as active weather is concerned, a series of weak low-pressure areas will impact Quebec and Ontario through Friday, with some light snow or flurries at times. Light accumulations of 2 to 5cm may occur, especially Thursday. Christmas Eve, Chanukah and Christmas Day look excellent for travel at this time, with mild temperatures and dry conditions across southern Quebec and Ontario. On Boxing Day, a much stronger low-pressure area will move from Colorado towards the western Great Lakes. This system has the potential to produce a snow-to-rain mix here in Montreal, with perhaps an extended period of freezing rain for some locations. The developing storm will have to be monitored closely for the exact track and temperature profiles as it moves east. I will post updates into the weekend on this potential storm, which will likely delay travel through the central portion of the country and perhaps even Quebec.