More snow...more cold for southern Quebec

Piles of ice and water on Belgrave Avenue in the Montreal borough of NDG on Friday morning. (Global News Photo)

The winds have finally calmed this morning after almost 48 hours of 50 to 60km/h gusts across southern Quebec. The constant blowing and drifting snow made road travel terrible especially off island to the south. At one point yesterday several highways including Quebec Autoroute 15 to the US border were closed because of the weather. Blowing snow reduced visibility and iced roads in the extreme cold. Numerous accidents were reported. The cold has been relentless this month and Friday was no different in Montreal. Despite the eventual sunshine, temperatures only warmed to -16C. That is the current temperature this morning. 

Clouds have increased again over southern Quebec this morning in advance of low pressure moving from the Ohio Valley down the St. Lawrence Valley. Light snow will start early today and taper off by Sunday morning. A general 5-10cm (2-4 inches) is forecast across southern Quebec and Ontario with perhaps 15-20cm (6-8 inches) along the US border and points south into the Greens and Adirondacks. Temperatures will warm all day today, tonight and Sunday up to a sultry -2C (28F). It may even rise above freezing in a few spots Sunday, which would be the first time that has happened in over 6 weeks. It will be short lived as winds will increase again late Sunday and temperatures will plummet down to -20C (-4F) in Montreal by Monday morning. Clouds and flurries are likely along an arctic front that will clear the region by Monday morning. The high on Monday will only be -17C (2F) with gusty winds and low windchill values. The gusty 50km/h winds will also blow around the fresh snow once again making travel poor on highways outside the city.

The prolonged frigid weather has created a mess with multiple water main breaks in Montreal. There have been several major breaks across the island that have flooded basements and trapped cars in mounds of ice. Yesterday was no different with a break on Belgrave Avenue in NDG not only flooding roads, but also the AMT commuter rail line, delaying service for the third time this week. The delay in train service left thousands of commuters freezing on windy platforms on three lines. Earlier in the week, frozen switches delayed train service for over an hour Thursday night.

No major relief is in sight yet with more cold weather all this week.

Another arctic outbreak for southern Quebec

Above and below are a smattering of pictures showing the impact of heavy snow in Boston and southern New England. They have resorted to snow melters in Boston, in an effort to get rid of the mounds of snow. (AP Photos)

Weather has always been big in my world, going back to my childhood years in the early 70's. It seems weather has become a big topic lately as the mainstream media, especially in the U.S. comes on board with the recent spat of storms. We had a friendly debate yesterday at work over climate change and global warming. Whether or not you believe in such theories, it is a topic that usually conjures up a lengthy and exhausting debate. Bottom line, what you see out the window now is related more to the current short term weather pattern and not long term climate change. I am just saying don't discount climate change because it is cold out today.

This pattern by the way, shows no signs of changing in the near future. L'Ile Perrot is clear this morning at -17C (2F), another cold morning, well below the normal low of  -13C (9F). The high today is forecast to be only -13C (9F), the normal high is -4C (25F) for Montreal. Clouds will increase this evening as another clipper type low pressure system, following the same track as the last few, moves south of Montreal across New England. Snow will develop in Ottawa this evening and Montreal after midnight with 5-10cm forecast through Thursday. Temperatures will moderate slightly in the snow but then plummet Thursday night and remain frigid into this weekend. Lows overnight both Saturday and Sunday will be near -24C (-11F) in Montreal and even colder in rural areas away form the city. Strong winds will make the windchill bitter. After the snow Thursday, no major storms are forecast for Montreal at this time.

RECORD BREAKING SNOW FOR BOSTON
The big weather news this week has been the relentless parade of storms across New England. More heavy snow this week in Boston and southern coastal New Hampshire, has pushed the three week total to over 70 inches (175cm). It also has placed this winter`s snow depth at number nine all time in Boston, and climbing up quickly. More heavy snow is forecast this weekend with the potential of two separate storms impacting the region. Snow is piled up to the roof tops in some places. The National Guard has been called in to help with snow clearing operations. Some roofs have even collapsed under the weight of the heavy snow. It has snowed in Boston on 13 of the last 17 days.

Snow blocks the entrance to the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire. I love this place, having visited most recently this past summer. I would love to visit this week! (Facebook)

Frigid with snow for St. Lawrence Valley

NWS Burlington snow forecast up to the St. Lawrence Valley. Around 6 inches (15cm) is forecast along the border, with less as you move northwest towards Montreal, 4 inches (5-10cm). Double click map for more detail.

The snowy, cold weather pattern will prevail across eastern Canada with a couple of more waves of low pressure affecting the region this week. A frontal boundary draped across the Great Lakes this morning is the dividing line between the arctic air over Montreal and warmer air to the south. This boundary will be the focus of snowfall today as low pressure rides along it through Monday. Snow and blowing snow is forecast for eastern Ontario, along the 401 and into Montreal today and Monday. It will be light most of the time with 5-10cm from Montreal north and 10-15cm south to the U.S. border and along the 401 corridor. South of the border, winter storm warnings are in place for upstate New York and Vermont for up to 30cm of snow or 1 foot by the time it ends late Monday or early Tuesday. Gusty northeast winds up to 50km/h in the St. Lawrence Valley will blow the snow around and make it feel bitterly cold. This morning it is -18C (0F) in Montreal with a northeast wind at 37km/h and a windchill of -31C (-24F). The cold will last all week with the potential for the coldest night of the winter by Friday or Saturday. More snow is forecast on Wednesday as another clipper crosses the valley. While it seems like we may have had lots of snow this month, it has come in small amounts and has added up to 15-20cm (6-8 inches) for southern Quebec. Let's compare that to Moncton, New Brunswick and other parts of the Maritimes that have had over 150cm (60") in the last 10 days alone with two more storms forecast for this week.