White Christmas for southern Quebec and eastern Ontario

It was a perfect Christmas Eve morning walk with my pup here on Ile Perrot this December 24. Light snow was falling, adding to the 10cm or so that already accumulated overnight. The snow has now ended, and we can expect a dry and chilly end to the week for any holiday travel plans. Precipitation returns by the weekend, along with much warmer temperatures. (Valley Weather)

If you are an outdoor enthusiast, or just nostalgic for snow at this time of year, then you will be happy with the 12 to 15cm of fresh snow that fell across southern Quebec over the last 12 hours. Ottawa reported 17cm with Mirabel measuring 7cm. The snow was fairly light in nature, but still enough to cover roads and make travel slippery overnight. There were numerous incidents reported by police along the 417/40 corridor to Ottawa.

The low pressure responsible for the snow has moved rapidly into the Gulf of Maine Tuesday afternoon, with all warnings now dropped and precipitation over. Skies will remain mostly cloudy this afternoon and into Christmas Day, with a few breaks and light northerly winds. The high today will be close to -6C (21F), dropping to -16C (3F) overnight, and remaining chilly on Wednesday, at -10C (14F).

High pressure will move across the region, but an inversion will keep plenty of cloud cover in the valleys. By the weekend, we expect our next weather system to arrive in southern Quebec, along with warming temperatures and the threat for mixed precipitation.

If you have travel plans for Christmas or Hanukkah over the next 24 to 36 hours, roads should be in good shape. There me be a few icy spots around, especially secondary roads. Please travel with care and be courteous to fellow drivers.

Have a safe and happy holiday.