Cold, snowy week ahead - Meteorological Winter has arrived in Montreal

A strong cold front has ushered out the foggy damp weather from last week in Montreal and announced the arrival of Meteorological Winter. A cold, snowy pattern will become established for at least the upcoming week if not longer. (Valley Weather)

December 1st in Montreal, the unofficial start of the Holiday Season, the winter tire deadline and the official start to Meteorological Winter. The equinox will not occur until December 21st, but trust me winter is here.

On Sunday a few centimetres of wet snow fell in Montreal, which promptly froze overnight as a cold front swept across the region. Temperatures fell from above freezing around midnight, to current readings in the -6C (21F) range in Montreal. Gusty northwest winds of up to 50km/h have dropped wind chill values into the minus teens for the first time this season. High pressure will briefly build in today, but it will remain cold with steady temperatures. Sunday's snow brought an end to what was a wintry month in the city, with 28cm of snow falling.

Heavy lake effect snow over the last week resulted in dangerous driving conditions along with hundreds of accidents for many parts of southern and eastern Ontario. More snow is expected this week as a strong arctic boundary sweeps across Ontario and Quebec by Thursday. (Ontario Storm Reports)

Overnight into Tuesday, a deepening winter storm will move from the Ohio Valley across southern New England and off the eastern seaboard. Montreal will remain on the northern edge of the heaviest precipitation, with light snow expected for the city. Gusty northeast winds will make it feel very cold, with daytime highs around -4C (25F). At this time, only a couple of centimetres are expected for Montreal, with less to the north of the city and between 5 and 10cm along the US border. 

On Wednesday and arctic boundary will be approaching the region from Ontario. This front will deliver a round of snow flurries and squalls late Wednesday into Thursday morning, along with a reenforcing shot of cold air. Temperatures will drop into the minus teens for lows and only to -8C (18F) for a high on Thursday.

More snowy weather along with cold temperatures are expected for next weekend as winter takes hold in Montreal. While no major storms are on the horizon at this time, a bunch of smaller events will still create slick driving conditions at times. Winter is here! Give yourself extra time, clean off your car and bring patience with you when you leave your home and make certain you have winter tires on. Stay safe.