Snowy and cold forecast for southern Quebec

Crews have been kept busy this January, with snow falling on 18 of the 21 days to date. While daily amounts have been on the light side, it has resulted in 40 to 50cm  falling across the Montreal region This has required almost daily salting and plowing. Roads have been less than ideal and highly variable, with numerous accidents. (Valley Weather Photo)

Snow Squall Watch in effect for Thursday.

Much of southwestern Quebec and Ontario is set to have the coldest air of the season arrive behind a series of arctic boundaries over the next 36 hours. Wednesday evening, an overperforming warm front is delivering a few centimetres of snow to the Montreal region. Roads have become snow covered and icy, with numerous accidents reported, including a major crash on Highway 40 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Low pressure will travel well northwest of Montreal as the warm front lifts north of the city. Warmer air will briefly arrive overnight and into the first part of Thursday, with highs near -3C (27F). On Thursday, the first cold front arrives in the afternoon, along with increasing southwest winds and occasional snow squalls. Some of the squalls may be briefly intense, with heavy snow and blowing snow. Up to 5cm of fresh is possible in the Montreal region.

Temperatures will drop throughout the day Thursday and into Friday morning, down to -12C (10F). On Friday a secondary arctic front arrives, with the chance for more snow flurries. Skies will be partly cloudy, and it will be cold, with very little temperature rise. Both Thursday and Friday, winds will be gusty from the southwest first, backing to the northwest, 40-70km/h.

Friday night, cold arctic high pressure will settle into the region, with clear skies and frigid temperatures. Overnight lows will drop into the -20s, with windchills in the minus 30's. Saturday will be fair and frigid, with highs no better than -20C (-4C) and dangerous windchill values.

SUNDAY SNOWSTORM?

The big US winter storm that is forecast to move across the deep south and along the eastern seaboard, may impact us after all late Sunday and Monday. Some forecast models are indicating several centimetres of snow for parts of the St. Lawrence Valley, along with gusty northeast winds and bitter cold. Stay tuned for more details as this system develops over the next few days.