Wind warnings in effect for the Montreal region

Crews will get a brief break over the next 36 hours, as snow is replaced by rain and mild temperatures. A strong arctic front will plunge temperatures back below freezing Friday afternoon in Montreal, with strong winds and flurries forecast into Saturday morning. More snow is possible on Sunday.

Yellow Wind Warning for southern Quebec. Impact Level: Moderate / Forecast Confidence: High

Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for most of southern Quebec. Strong and gusty southwest winds will develop Thursday evening in advance of deep low pressure moving across northern Ontario into central Quebec. In advance of the storm, southwest winds will push very warm air into the St. Lawrence Valley into Friday morning. Winds will gust up to 70km/h. Temperatures will soar to well-above normal values of 8C (48F) on Friday morning. In a month that has been so cold, it is hard to believe we may have a record high on Friday. The current record is 8.3C (48F), set in 1949.

The surge of warm air will be short-lived as a powerful arctic front will cross the Montreal region during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will fall quickly behind the front on strong northwest winds, gusting up to 100km/h. The wind should ease by midnight. Winds this strong are capable of power outages and tree damage. Winds may even exceed 100km/h on the South Shore.

A steady soaking rain, up to 15mm is likely along the leading edge of the cold air Friday morning. There may even be a rumble or two of thunder in the St. Lawrence Valley. Behind the front, any leftover precipitation will change over to snow showers and flurries, with blowing snow possible for any locations that receive accumulations. The temperatures will fall well below freezing by evening, down to -10C (14F) by Saturday morning.

This storm has had a history of strong and damaging winds, from southern British Columbia across the Prairies and into northwestern Ontario. Power outages have been widespread, with even injuries and one fatality reported from the wind. In southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the wind was accompanied by heavy snow and plummeting temperatures, producing several hour of blizzard conditions, with numerous road closures.

The warm air on Friday will surge into the central portion of Quebec, but will only last a few hours. Heavy snow, blowing snow and dangerous cold will rapidly replace the warm air north of Montreal, as winter surges back into that region by Friday afternoon. Travel may become quite difficult in many parts of Ontario and Quebec Friday afternoon and evening.