Strong spring storm to spread snow and rain across Quebec

Where has spring gone? Many parts of Canada as well as the northern US continue to experience cold and snowy weather. More of the same is forecast through at least the middle of April.

Deepening low pressure is forecast to move from Colorado towards the lower Great Lakes on Tuesday. A warm front well in advance of the storm center, will push across the region Tuesday night, followed by a potent cold front Wednesday evening. South and east of the storm track, heavy rain is expected, with 25 to 40mm possible. Heavy rainfall warnings have been issued for southern Quebec, including metro Montreal. North and west of the track, snow will be the dominant precipitation type. Some locations from the upper Ottawa Valley into the Laurentians, may pick up 20 to 30cm of heavy wet snow. Environment Canada has posted snowfall warnings for Mont Tremblant as well as Sainte-Agathe and Saint-Sauvuer. Warnings are also in effect for the upper Ottawa Valley including Pembroke and Petawawa. Portions of western Quebec and extreme eastern Ontario may have mixed precipitation to start late Tuesday, but should transition to rain quickly. Behind the storm, rain will change to snow in Ottawa Wednesday night, with 5cm forecast.

Strong Winds
Temperatures will warm above freezing in Montreal on Tuesday, reaching a high of 4C (39F), with 6C (43F) expected on Wednesday. A strong cold front will arrive late Wednesday into Thursday morning, accompanied by very strong northwest winds. In the St. Lawrence Valley, gusts may reach 90km/h. Wind warnings may be necessary for Montreal late wednesday afternoon. Unseasonably cold air will rush back into southern Quebec, with lows plummeting by Thursday morning to -10C (14F) in Montreal. The cold, unsettled weather will be with us through the middle of the month, with several opportunities for snow across the northern tier of the US as well as central and eastern Canada. The next chance for snow could come as early as Friday morning here in Montreal, as a clipper system moves south of the city. More on that as the week progresses.