Tropical heat and humidity return to southern Quebec

Deep tropical moisture is moving northward from the southern US into Quebec and Ontario. Much needed rainfall is expected, with as much as 50mm by the end of the week. (AccuWeather.com)

A conveyor belt of heat and tropical humidity is streaming northward from the deep southern US, straight into southern Quebec and Ontario. Southern Quebec will be squeezed by a Bermuda high to our east and a trough of low pressure over the Great Lakes, helping to propel the moisture northward. This will result in periods of showers and thunderstorms throughout the upcoming week. Despite the persistent cloud cover, temperatures will be in the upper 20s to near 30C all week. Overnight lows will be very mild, in the 21 to 23C range. Combined with the high humidity, the weather will feel downright tropical and oppressive at times, with dew points in the middle 20s and humidex values in the upper 30s. Some relief will arrive by next weekend, with slightly cooler temperatures and lower humidity. The threat for showers and thunderstorms however, is expected to persist right into next weekend. So far July 2018 is averaging over 5 degrees above normal and may end up being one of the warmest on record for Montreal.

Quebec and Ontario need the rain
Rainfall will be scattered in nature with this system, but amounts could exceed 50mm (2 inches) by the end of the week.On Monday morning, 25mm fell in Rutland, Vermont is just two hours with a heavier downpour. On Sunday, 5 to 7mm fell in Montreal, but we desperately need more. Most of southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and neighbouring New York and New England has been very dry since mid-June. The list of municipalities asking residents to conserve water has grown steadily this month. Many are also banning outdoor burning of any kind. Here on L'Ile Perrot, we have been asked to avoid watering lawns, washing cars and filling pools until water levels rise again. Despite this request, there are still many residents running there sprinklers from dusk to dawn. It is not hard to find out which houses those are, as most lawns not being watered are completely brown. Other regions such as Chateuguay and St. Lazare are actually enforcing the request with a complete watering ban in place.