Powerful East Coast storm bypasses Montreal

Heavy snow has virtually shut down east coast cities from Washington to Boston. (NYPD Photo)

UPDATE - Tuesday, February 24: The monster Nor'Easter is now pushing into Newfoundland as skies slowly clear across the region. Amounts were beyond impressive, surpassing those of the famous Blizzard of 78. Providence, Rhode Island received a record-breaking 38 inches (96.5cm) of snow in less than 24 hours. To put that into perspective, here in Montreal our seasonal snowfall stands at 168cm (66 inches), but that is since November 1st. This has been a winter of small snowfalls for Montreal, the largest 24-hour snowfall was only 11cm (4.3 inches) on December 10. 

Winds gusted to hurricane-force, over 125km/h across coastal New England. Power was out to over 500,000 across the region. Air travel was greatly affected, with over 11,000 flights cancelled, rippling across North America.

The storm also hit Atlantic Canada late Monday and overnight, with winds topping 100km/h and 25 to 40cm of snow. 

Previous Post: An absolute monster of a storm is moving along the northeast Atlantic Coast Monday morning, producing blizzard conditions from Delaware to Nova Scotia. The central pressure has tumbled down to sub 970mb, making it the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane. The Nor'Easter is a marvel on satellite, while on the ground, heavy snow and strong winds have closed down the northeast and southern New England.

Here in the St. Lawrence Valley, we remain on the extreme northwest cloud shield of the massive storm. Montreal will experience clouds most of the day, along with a biting northeast wind up to 50km/h. Temperatures will flirt with the freezing mark, but that wind will make it feel raw. Skies will clear briefly Tuesday, before another weather system, this time from the Great Lakes, brings us more snow Wednesday.

Friday nights system produced 6cm of snow officially at Trudeau Airport, while I measured a good 10cm on Ile Perrot.

The storm is a masterpiece on satellite images Monday morning, resembling a hurricane, with the deep 970mb center lying southeast of Long Island, New York. The classic comma shaped storm extends from Nova Scotia to the Bahamas. Montreal remains on the extreme northwest edge, with high clouds and gusty northeast winds being the only weather we will see from this system. (NOAA)

The east coast storm will lift northeast today towards Atlantic Canada offshore waters, while weakening slightly. Heavy snow will continue from New York to Maine, with 40-60cm possible. Less snow is expected in Nova Scotia, with 15-25cm possible. Some locations across the middle Atlantic are already flirting with 50cm (20 inches), including Newark Airport at 45cm (18 inches). The snow has been accompanied by thunder and lightning along the coast.

Schools are closed, travel bans are in effect, thousands of flights have been cancelled from Washington to Boston. Winds with the storm are gusting to hurricane force, in excess of 100km/h at many locations. In addition to the snow and wind, powerful waves and a storm surge are inundating coastal areas with 2-3 feet of water. Over a half million customers are without power across the region. Many states including New York and New Jersey had issued a state of emergency prior to the storms arrival. A travel ban is in effect statewide in Rhode Island,

Another round of snow for Montreal Friday - decent weather for the weekend

The burst of snow expected Friday evening will be similar to that which fell on February 10. The snow will be short-lived, lasting just a few hours, with perhaps 5-10cm expected for Montreal and point south and west. Less is forecast north and east of the city, including Laval. (Valley Weather Photo)

While the weather was relatively tame and mild over the last week in Montreal, the same could not be said for many other parts of North America. A wild low pressure area combined with cold air from northern Canada to produce a windy weather system that spread across the Rockies into the Plains and Prairies, Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. That system is set to bring us a burst of snow Friday evening.

Clouds will increase early Friday as a warm front lifts across the eastern Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley. The front will stall to the south of Montreal, with precipitation overrunning it late in the day. Snow will develop by the evening commute and taper off overnight. The event will be similar to one that occurred on February 10. Accumulations will be in the 5 to 7cm range for the Island of Montreal, with 10-15cm from the off-island communities to the southwest, towards Cornwall, Ontario. Lesser amounts are expected northeast of Montreal, with no snow expected as you head towards Quebec City.

For Montreal and points south and west, roads will become snow covered and slippery late this afternoon and tonight with significantly reduced visibility. That includes the 20/401 corridor to Cornwall and the 40/417 highways to Ottawa.

South of Montreal, up to 20cm is possible in upstate New York. Winter Storm warnings and Advisories are in effect for regions south of the border, with a Special Weather Statement in Ontario.

In Montreal, temperatures will warm to -2C (29F) today, before falling back to -8C (18F) overnight. Gusty northeast winds will develop north of the warm front across the St. Lawrence Valley, reaching speeds of 30-50km/h. Those winds combined with falling snow will reduce visibility across southwestern Quebec this evening. 

The weekend will be variable, with partly sunny skies Saturday and perhaps a few flurries Sunday. Temperatures will be seasonable, with highs between -3C (27F) and -5C (23F) and lows of -8C (18F).

Above freezing temperatures finally forecast for Montreal

Snowy scene on St. Joseph Blvd on Ile Perrot late Tuesday, February 10. The quick hitting storm made a mess of the evening commute in Montreal. Heavy snow fell for several hours, with 7-12cm accumulating across the region between 3pm and 9pm. That brought the monthly total up to 12.4cm at Trudeau Airport, with 163cm measured so far this season since November 1, 2025. (Valley Weather Photo)

It was another cold morning in Montreal on Friday, with temperatures dropping to -15C (5F). Today will mark the 28th consecutive day below freezing in the city. There is some hope on the horizon.

Skies will be sunny today, with a high near -5C (23F). A weak clipper system will pass just south of Montréal tonight, producing a few flurries, with perhaps a dusting to 1cm in some locations. The weekend at this time looks sunny, along with warming temperatures. By Sunday we may approach the freezing point.

Even milder air will arrive on southwest winds Monday and Tuesday, along with perhaps a few showers. Highs will be near plus 5C (41F) on both Tuesday and Wednesday. 

To date winter 2025/26 has produced 163cm of snow at Trudeau Airport. The most bewildering statistic from Environment Canada for me, is that only 14cm of that snow officially remains on the ground at Trudeau Airport. Ignoring all the massive piles of snow around the city, I took to my fresh untouched backyard with a yardstick and measured close to 40cm on the ground in several undisturbed spots. I'm sure your backyard has just as much snow if you live anywhere in the metro Montreal region.

By comparison, Ottawa International Airport has measured 171.3cm of snow this winter and is reporting 50cm still on the ground. This is a much more accurate representation of the winter to date, especially considering that we have been below freezing for the last month, with very little melting observed. I question the accuracy or location chosen for the Montreal measurement, as it seems to not be representative of the city wide average

Looking ahead briefly to the end of February, we see colder air returning. While the air does not look frigid, it will certainly be cold enough for snow. There will also be several opportunities for measurable snow through the end of the month. Don't put the shovel away just yet.

Speaking of cold, Thomsen River in the Northwest Territories was -48.6C (-55.5F) on Friday morning, the coldest spot in the country.

Milder weather returns along with more snow for Montreal

Windswept Chemin Duhamel along the Ottawa River in Pincourt on Saturday morning. Strong winds up to 50km/h drifted snow across the frozen river and onto the roadway. The winds also resulted in bitter windchills falling into the minus 30s. Temperatures over the weekend remained cold in the -15C to -25C range for most of southern Quebec. (Valley Weather Photo)

The weather in southern Quebec was frigid over the weekend, as temperatures struggled to reach -15C (5F) both days, along with gusty northwest winds that produced windchill values into the minus 30s. Overnight lows dipped into the middle minus 20s for most locations.

Monday morning is no different as the mercury dipped to -20C (-4F) at Trudeau Airport. Montreal managed a couple of centimetres of snow Friday night, with the monthly total sitting at only 4cm at the Airport, slightly more in other spots around southern Quebec.

Our temperature dropped to -0.7C (31F) at 5am on January 15, and has not risen above since then, a total of 24 days. As a result most of the snow that has fallen since, remains piled around the city. This despite the wacky statistic of snow on the ground that Environment Canada publishes for Trudeau Airport, which shows only 7cm.

Temperatures have remained below freezing for over 3 weeks in southern Quebec. As a result many waterways, including the Ottawa River above where it meets the St. Lawrence River, are nearly frozen clear across. Several residents braved the frigid cold over the weekend to ice fish on the frozen surface. (Valley Weather)

The upcoming week will see a welcome moderation in temperatures, that may see us finally reach the 0C (32F) mark by next weekend. it will be a slow warming trend, and it comes along with snow. A clipper type low will slide across the Great lakes on Tuesday and along the International Border, while strengthening somewhat. A area of steady snow will devlop in the afternoon, producing close to 5cm thought the evening commute in Montreal.

The snow will persist into early Wednesday, with close to 10cm expected for Montreal, perhaps 15cm for some locations. With the snow, we can expect warmer temperatures on southwest winds. After a chilly Monday, -9C (16F), the high Tuesday will be -7C (19F) and finally near normal, -4C (25F) for Wednesday. Overnight lows will remain chilly, either side of -10C (14F).

By the weekend, we may see even milder air arrive in Montreal, but that may come at a price, as we are watching a potential east coast storm. Many details remain, but we may see a more impactful snowfall for some parts of Quebec by Sunday. Right now, the weather looks fair and mild in Montreal for the weekend.

Despite the Groundhog - we can expect another frigid weekend in Montreal

Waiting for early Spring...lonely chairs buried in snow on the edge of the Lake of Two Mountains in Senneville this past weekend. (Valley Weather)

Thursday is National Weatherperson's Day, celebrating the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. Dr. Jeffries was one of the first North American weather observers, keeping a detailed weather diary from 1774 until 1816. This day comes quickly on the heels of Groundhog Day, where we put science aside and trust a half sleeping rodent to predict the weather 6 weeks out. Not an easy task for any of us fully awake weather enthusiasts! 

So with that,  Québec's own Fred la Marmotte, did not see is shadow, and therefore predicts and early Spring. Despite his bold prediction, we are looking at another frigid weekend for Montreal.

Fred la Marmotte in the Gaspe region, has predicted an early Spring for Quebec. I will believe it when I see it, as my crystal ball is a little more cloudy.

Some of the coldest air of the season is set to pour into southern Ontario and Quebec on Friday, behind a clipper system and arctic boundary. The day will begin fairly calm in Montreal, but thickening clouds will lead to light snow by the afternoon hours. The high will reach a chilly -8C (17F), the normal for the date is -5C (23F). The snow will become briefly stead, if not heavy at times into the evening hours as the front passes out region. Accumulations will range from 5cm to perhaps as much as 10cm locally.

Gusty northwest winds between 30-50km/h will develop late in the day Friday, persisting into Saturday. Temperatures we fall behind the front into the minus teens by Saturday morning, with windchill values approaching -30C. The high Saturday will be reached in the overnight hours, with lows by Sunday morning at -22C (-8F). Skies should eventually clear on Saturday, after morning flurries. Sunday will be sunny but cold, with high temperatures around -15C (5F). Temperatures will start to moderate next week.

Despite the week long thaw we had in January, the month still came in below normal here in Montreal. The average temperature at Trudeau Airport was -9.8C (14.4F), 0.6C below normal. Montreal measured 66cm of snow, slightly above the normal of 52cm. February is starting off on a cold note, but we are seeing signs of a milder pattern beginning as early as next week.