Some rainfall this week - however drought conditions persist across southern Québec

The last summer sunrise for 2025 over Montreal early Monday morning. Fall officially arrives at 2:19 pm Monday afternoon, September 22. The week ahead will not feel fall-like at all, with above normal temperatures expected to persist into the start of October. (Valley Weather Photo)

A weakening frontal boundary to the west of Montreal, may produce a few showers Monday morning, with a better chance late in the day, and perhaps even a rumble or two of thunder. Any rain will be welcome. Drought conditions are deepening across eastern Canada and New England. In Montreal, Sunday was our 14th day in a row with no precipitation. The monthly total stands 21.4mm, most of that falling in a single thunderstorm on September 4th. The normal precipitation for September is 89.2mm at Trudeau Airport. 

The North American Drought Monitor is reporting moderate to severe drought conditions (D-1, D-2) across large portions of southern and eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. Drought conditions then spread south and east across New England and southern Quebec. As a result, water levels remain dangerously low is several parts of the Great Lakes, Ottawa and St. Lawrence River watersheds including adjacent rivers and streams.

Vaudreuil Bay on Sunday afternoon, looking northeast towards the Island of Montreal. Water levels remain extremely low on both the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers, with many docks sitting high and dry and rocky beaches where water should be.

The outlook for the week is a little more promising, but we are not seeing any drought busting rainfall. Several weak systems will produce scattered rain showers, resulting in perhaps 20mm or so by the end of the week, Any moisture is welcome.

The Autumnal Equinox occurs on Monday afternoon at 2:19PM. Despite a couple of cool mornings this past weekend, with even a hint of frost in many regions outside Montreal, warmer weather will prevail this week. Overnight lows dropped into the low single digits Sunday morning in the Montreal region, with even a few spots in the Eastern Townships below freezing. Sherbrooke reported a low of -3C (27F) Saturday morning and -2C (29F) on Sunday morning. Many locations reported frost and even a hard freeze ending the growing season for some.

High temperatures rebounded quickly into the low to middle 20s Sunday afternoon, with light winds and bright sunshine, a perfect final day of summer. This week will continue the trend of above normal temperatures, with highs in the low to even middle 20s and lows in the middle teens.