Funnel Clouds

6pm Radar of showers and thunderstorms spinning around the upper level low, as they have been doing all week. Then activity dies down after sunset.

The core of this upper air disturbance that has been around all week is centered over southwestern Quebec this afternoon. Heavy showers with some thunder have been occurring all afternoon and will continue into this evening. The OPP received a report of a funnel cloud in Chesterville just southeast of Winchester. Expect the possibility of more weak funnel clouds this afternoon until sunset when the air should become a little more stable. Funnel clouds are dangerous if they reach the ground.

Weekend Forecast

Well, we finally have some good news! First today, Friday, looks like that stubborn area of low pressure, at least on radar, is spinning over Eastern Ontario this morning. So in one week it has moved from the Soo to Ottawa. It needless to say is a very slow system. We can expect at least another 24 hours of showers with today being very wet in Kemptville and Montreal. The rain and thunderstorms have been moving from south to north all week, they will switch from northwest to southeast today indicating that the system is finally beginning some movement. The good news is we can expect weak high pressure to clear us out late in the day Saturday, providing the region with a sunny and warm Sunday (24C). More rain is expected on Monday, but we will get to that later.

More of the same

The same stubborn area of low pressure crawling across Ontario and Quebec will generate more showers and thunderstorms today. The risk has increased in Montreal for severe weather this afternoon, as the axis has shifted a little east. Look for them to develop anytime after lunch from Upstate NY into Eastern Ontario including Kemptville and especially western and southwestern Quebec. Heavy rain and small hail will be the main threats.

There is a risk of funnel clouds or even waterspouts near the Great Lakes.

The weekend sadly looks the same, showers and cooler, near 21C

Thunderstorm Update

Thunderstorms move across the west end of Montreal earlier this evening. SB Pic

8:40pm UPDATE: Thunderstorms passed through Montreal in the last hour moving from south to north across the central and western part of the Island. The warnings for that storm have been dropped, and I imagine the watch will be allowed to expire shortly. Radar shows most of the activity is beginning to wane with the setting sun. Look for activity to pick up again during the afternoon on Thursday as a stubborn slow moving upper level low continues to sit across Ontario and Quebec.

Happy Canada Day Everyone...

It has been a wonderful day so far in Montreal. We reached 25C under mostly sunny skies with developing cumulus clouds and very muggy (Humidex 31C). Radar is showing heavy thunderstorms developing in Franklin and Clinton County in New York and moving north into southern Quebec. These storms will continue to develop this afternoon into this evening up until sun set and the air becomes a little more stable. The same scenario will repeat itself tomorrow. All of upstate New York is under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and Franklin County is under a warning at this hour. These storms are producing lots of lightning, gusty winds and heavy rain. Hail has also been reported.

Severe Weather Update

10pm Update: The watch for metro Montreal has expired for now. Thunderstorms continue to develop over Vermont and some may affect our region later tonight. Showers will continue overnight.

• On this anniversary of the Regina tornado of 1912, parts of Saskatchewan are under Tornado watches and warnings once again. RCMP and Environment Canada reported two tornadoes since 7pm local time one near North Battleford, and the other near Saskatoon. Radar shows explosive supercell storms moving northeast of Saskatoon at this hour.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Metro Montreal and the region south to the US border. South of the border, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is also in effect along with a Flash Flood Watch for northeast New York and Northern Vermont. A flood warning is in effect for Clinton County in New York. Radar is showing numerous showers and thunderstorms spreading north into southern Quebec. The biggest threat will be heavy rain. From between 25-75mm of rain could occur in a very short period of time tonight creating local flooding. These storms are moving towards Montreal.

An upper level low continues to produce unstable weather with showers and storms. When the sun comes out, the very humid air mass becomes even more unstable. This trend will continue into Canada Day. Montreal reached 27C today.

More thunderstorms

Regina 1912 (Google Images)

Today is the anniversary of the deadliest tornado in Canadian history. In 1912 an F4 tornado nicknamed the Regina Cyclone covered a 30km path from south of the city through Regina and off to the north. Wide areas of the city were destroyed including a YMCA, churches and several schools. The storm touched down at 5pm and lasted just over 20 minutes. When all was said and done 28 people had lost their lives and there were hundreds of injuries. The debt accumulated from the storm took till the 1950's to be paid back. The city was forced to rebuild nearly all of its infrastructure. 2500 people were left homeless and damage was estimated at 1.2 million (1912 dollars).

In our area today, the battle with this stubborn upper level low over the Great Lakes continues. We can expect some sunshine mixed with clouds along with morning fog, followed by more thunderstorms this afternoon. Some of the storms may produce heavy rain and hail. There is even the risk of some funnel clouds along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley. Temperatures will warm to 25C under the sunny breaks, but it will remain quite muggy. The balance of the week looks the same as the low pressure area slowly begins to fill an pull of to the northeast.

Rain & Thunderstorms

Radar this morning is showing a westward moving area of rain affecting Montreal and southern Quebec. This rain is in response to low pressure along the Atlantic seaboard. The rain and embedded thunderstorms will continue for most of the day with around 25mm possible. Further west in Ontario it will be more showery with less accumulation. Once this system pulls out of here, we will be under the influence once again of the low pressure area stuck over the Great Lakes. it will produce humid conditions with intervals of sunshine and some showers and storms. (See 700th post). Anyway it will not be a great week for Canada Day and those on vacation. Temperatures will be in the 22C to 24C range unless we get prolonged sunny breaks as we did yesterday. That tends to drive the temperatures up quickly, yesterday Montreal went from 20C to 27C in a couple of hours as a result of the breaks. It also destabilizes the air and can lead to clouds and thunderstorms. Ah the circle of weather!

Wet week ahead

This is post number 700! Thanks so much for reading.

It will be a wet and unsettled week across Ontario, Quebec and east into the Maratimes. Deep low pressure for June is moving into Ontario from Manitoba after dumping heavy rain, nearly 100mm in that province and producing tornadoes over North Dakota. The storm will keep the hot air to our south over the US, while we experience clouds and periodic showers and thunderstorms. Up to 75mm is not out of the question over the next week with locally even more. The low pressure area will slowly move into central Quebec and become nearly stationary for the remainder of the week. It will not rain all the time, but it will be muggy and damp when the rain is not falling. Any sun will just charge the atmosphere and lead to more thunderstorms. The cycle will continue all week and only improve by late Friday. Temperatures will be from 20 to 25C but the humidex readings could be close to 30C.

This past week produced many severe weather events in both Ontario and Quebec including hail, flooding and tornadoes. Two tornadoes, and F-2 near Avon, Ontario, and an F-1 near Leamington, produced considerable damage but no injuries. Hail was reported in many parts of southern Quebec including around the Trois Rivieres region. Trees were down and power outages occurred especially south of the St. Lawrence River. Isolated thunderstorms are possible over the next 24 hours, but they should not reach severe limits.

Remember to check out the links to the left for any updated WARNINGS or WATCHES which are indicated in red when active.

More thunderstorms on tap

Very unsettled weather is on tap for the region today and through the weekend. Thunderstorms will fire up again today in the warm and humid air and may reach sever limits. Heavy rain and hail are possible from noon on from Montreal through Ottawa, Kemptville and into the Seaway. Winds may reach over 90km/h in the heaviest storms with dangerous lightning as well.

The weekend will be muggy with showers and thunderstorms both days, but also some sunny breaks. The temperatures will be in the 24 to 27C range all three days.

Below is video from Brossard, Qc of last nights storm.

Heavy Thunderstorms

Lightning strikes just to the west of downtown Montreal tonight.

After a very warm and muggy day today in southern Quebec and Ontario (31C in Montreal and Kemptville), heavy thunderstorms have been popping up across the area. Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings have been in effect especially along and south of the Seaway. A cell just moved across the central part of the Island of Montreal and off to the east. I took the picture above as the storms passed. The wind was very strong, cutting power in areas, and whipping up high waves on the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well there was small hail.

Thunderstorms on the way

Yesterday was sunny and warm, a perfect day for the Quebec provincial holiday. I spent it along the shores of Lake Champlain (my pic above) in Burlington, Vermont. The photo below is an AP photo of some of the Midwest thunderstorms. I love that shot.

A very warm and humid air mass is in place over our region. Yesterday was the best day of the year to date. Sunshine allowed the mercury to reach 29C in Montreal and close to 30C across the region. Today we will see an increase in humidity as a cold front slowly moves into the region. We will hit 30C again, before thunderstorms begin to fire up by midday. Some of the storms may become severe from the GTA northeast up the Seaway towards Montreal and south into northern New York and Vermont. Look for brief heavy rain, dangerous lightning and gusty winds, there may even be some hail.The balance of the week into this weekend will be unsettled again. An upper level low will slowly move across the forecast area with showers and cooler temperatures.

Sunny and Warm

A very simple forecast for the next couple of days, sunny and warm, even hot in some places. From Montreal west it will be sunny and very warm with temperatures approaching 30C and even going into the thirties in interior portions of eastern Ontario such as Kemptville, away from the water. It will be sunny and in the upper 20's in Montreal today and close to 30C for the provincial holiday tomorrow.

School is out today so please drive safe on area roads and enjoy the holiday tomorrow in Quebec.

Further south and east in New England and Eastern Quebec, they are still being influenced by that coastal storm that has lingered since late last week. Look for more low clouds, cooling northeast breezes, and even some rain along the coast.

Summer at last...

It appears summer has arrived right on schedule. Yesterday turned out to be a decent day in Montreal and Kemptville despite the forecast. It is a difficult forecast to make from a temperature stand point at this time of year. The temperature responds rapidly to sunshine. Yesterday for example we were expecting clouds most of the day and a high of 22C. The sun came out with less cloud cover, and we reached 26C.

This weekend we were annoyed by stationary low pressure spinning off the Atlantic coast east of Boston. The storm has produced lots of heavy rain from NYC to Halifax. It was responsible for numerous delays in the US open on Long Island, NY. Low clouds and gusty northeast winds prevailed in our area but lifted as the day progressed. Today all that is left from the low in the St. Lawrence Valley and Kemptville is the northeast winds, they will blow at 30-40km/h most of the day. It will be sunny and warm right into mid week with temperatures approaching 30C. Get the A/C ready. The next threat of any rain will be on Thursday afternoon, as the air mass heats up thunderstorms can be expected.

Weekend Weather

Planning your weekend activities, here is a look at the weather you can expect across our region.

In Quebec: it looks like the south will have fog and drizzle this morning with a risk of late day showers as well. Saturday will be partly cloudy with showers and some thunder possible. Sunday and well into next week look glorious with sunshine and warm temperatures.

Ontario: the weather will be the same as in Quebec in the eastern part of the province, but there is a greater chance of showers and decent thunderstorms the closer you get to the Great Lakes, the GTA and the southwest.

New England & New York will be cloudy most of the weekend as they remain influenced by a stubborn weather system off the east coast. This storm will affect the US Open on Long Island and may even postpone some rounds with heavy rain. Low clouds, fog and showers may prevail in this region all weekend.

Temperatures everywhere will be around 20C Saturday and between 23 and 26C on Sunday.

Happy Father's Day, Happy Summer and be safe.

Better weekend ahead

What a difference 24 hours can make! The computer models continue to battle over what kind of a Father's Day weekend we can expect, but it looks much nicer than it did yesterday at this time. Low pressure over the Great Lakes will affect us today and tomorrow with some rain and maybe thunder, and another low pressure area will give us showers on Saturday. But the change comes Sunday when high pressure will move into the area with warm sunshine. Sunday is also the first day of summer with the Solstice occurring at 1:46am EDT. Next week at this time appears to be ideal with sunshine and temperatures over 27C well into mid-week. It even looks like we could reach 30C by next weekend. After a cool May and June, we may be seeing the beginning of a long period of summery weather, hopefully into September!

Enjoy Today

Very simple instructions if you live in Eastern Ontario or west Quebec, enjoy the weather today. It will be sunny and quite warm with temperatures near 27C. Tonight low pressure moving very slowly in from southern Ontario will begin a long period of unsettled weather with more clouds than sun through next Monday and the ever present risk of showers and thunderstorms. It won't rain all the time, and it will be mild but it will not be typical June weather. Any rain showers or storms that do occur, could put down a lot of rain in a short period of time, so keep this in mind if traveling along the 401 or 20. An example of this was on Monday, when Dorval recorded only 3.4mm of rain, but parts of Montreal north and east of the mountain had over 50mm with flooding. The inclement weather will begin today in southwest Ontario and spread north and east into our region tonight and Thursday.

Heavy thunderstorms produced unbelievable hail in New Jersey yesterday. You need to look at this video. HAIL

Slow moving Thunderstorms

A Canadian Coast Guard ship moves west of the Champlain Bridge with a very slow moving thunderstorm as the backdrop. This storm has been slowly moving over the city for the past 3 hours.

An upper air disturbance spinning over eastern Ontario and southwest Quebec is producing big, slow moving thunderstorms today. One storm located over the Montreal area for the last three hours is slowly moving towards the southwest after moving northward across the south shore. This complex of storms has produced very heavy rain locally especially in the eastern part of the city. Flooding has closed several lanes on the Trans Canada Highway (40) near Ville d'Anjou. These storms should continue to dissipate as the evening moves along. Some storms may produce pea size hail, dangerous lightning and up to 75mm of rain in the slowest moving cells.

Flooding was also reported today in central Vermont. Flood Advisories are still in effect around Middlebury, Vt.

Skies will clear Tuesday and it will be sunny and warm through Wednesday.

Some thunderstorms

Thunderstorms and showers develop just to the west northwest of the NOAA reporting station at Plattsburgh International Airport ("Montreal South") in upstate NY yesterday. ValleyWeather Photo.

Unsettled weather continues to rule the region. Today was warm, 25C in Montreal, and even a little muggy with abundant sunshine across the readership area. Some showers and isolated thunderstorms have popped up on radar late this afternoon and this evening. They should dissipate with the setting sun and fire up again Monday afternoon. For a spell weather warnings were in place in Lanark County, as some hail was reported. As of now only a severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect in the Gatineau and west Quebec region and also the Eastern Townships. That should be allowed to expire shortly as the threat for severe weather diminishes. There is still a chance of some rain tonight. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today.

Unsettled weekend...again

Last nights spectacular sunset and "ah-ha" moment caused by breaks and moisture in the atmosphere as the sun set. SB Pic.

Sounding like a broken record, there is more rain forecast for this weekend, but it won't be a washout. Today will be sunny and warm with temperatures nearing the 25C mark in Montreal, Kemptville and Ottawa. Clouds and showers with a rumble of thunder are possible tonight and early Sunday, before it clears out again. This is being caused by a fast moving west to east atmosphere that will steer weather systems rapidly through our area every 24 to 36 hours for the upcoming week. Look for intervals of clouds and sun and the ever present risk of showers. It will be warmer and humid at times. Remember it is June so if the sun comes out it warms quickly.

Ben Franklin - June 10, 1752

It was today, 257 years ago that one of the worlds premier scientists, great American and arguably the first meteorologist (you can see his quote on the bottom of my blog) conducted his famous key on the end of a kite experiment. Boston native Ben Franklin, (1706-1790), was always interested in science and electricity. He decided while attempting to watch an eclipse one evening, and instead being treated to a thunderstorm, that he was going to run some experiments on lightning. One of them was to see if electricity would pass through metal. He attached a key to the end of a child's kite and flew it in a thunderstorm in Philadelphia, PA on this date. His test was successful, in that he drew conclusions about electricity and its properties, many that we still use today, and that he was not killed outright. We know better today, no golfing, boating, swimming and yes kite flying in or near thunderstorms. The region may have some scattered storms Thursday afternoon.

Still cool in Montreal - Kemptville

The weather remains cool across large portions of the country. The only heat it seems is limited to B.C. where lightning strikes and dry weather continue to hamper firefighters. Frost and even snow was reported across the Prairies this past weekend, with some intense thunderstorms over southern Ontario yesterday.

Today is rainy and cool again in Montreal. I have been working nights this week, and had to put the heater on in the truck Monday, and a jacket on last night. It does not feel like June. The steady rain is nearly over in Montreal, and has ended in eastern Ontario. The air will remain unstable and cool, and I expect thunderstorms to develop this afternoon, especially along the St. Lawrence Seaway. Tomorrow will remain unsettled before it clears for Thursday. It looks like much warmer air is on the way for the last two weeks of the month. We are looking at daytime highs to rise to near or even above normal. Temperatures could approach 25 to 27C by early next week.

I was on the West Island of Montreal this past weekend. We are looking for a new home and planning a move. I took the above photo of the McGill Doppler Radar site in St. Anne de Bellevue. Some of the homes were very close to this site, and I love the idea of living within striking range of a Doppler radar site. We are even thinking of calling our new puppy Doppy!

Sunshine east - snow west

The Canadian Empress out of Kingston, docked in Lachine yesterday on Lac St. Louis. It was a beautiful day for a cruise.

Yesterday may have been the nicest day of 2009 to date in Montreal and the area. We reached highs in the mid twenties, 24C in Montreal, and across eastern Ontario and the Quebec. The sunshine was brilliant and the winds were light. Today will be equally warm with a stray cloud or two, but an increasing southwest wind may make it feel a little cooler.

This is in stark contrast to the 10-20cm of wet snow falling across the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan and southeast Alberta. It has been very cold on the Prairies and this trend will continue into this coming week. Our fine weather will also come to an end early this week as low pressure moves into the area with rain on Tuesday and showers for the balance of the week.

At left: From CBC.ca the Lillooet, B.C. fire continues to burn out of control in the hot and dry weather.

Pardon my absence, but where did this week go? I have been working nights, which should free up my days to blog, right? Well zzzzzzzzz, sorry there I go again. It has been a silly week, but I did have an interview today for a real job, and hopefully that will work out.

Now, the weather. It has been a decent week. Still cool, as a matter of fact we are still talking about the risk of frost tonight across the Townships, and in parts of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, despite it being June 4. By my count we have had zero thunderstorms in the Montreal area so far this spring, but I may have missed one at 2am or so. This is a very chilly start to the summer season, but warmer weather is in sight as we head to the middle of the month. Today was a great early June day, still breezy and below normal with a high of 20C but nice nonetheless. The weekend looks spectacular with bright sunshine and temperatures between 20 and 23C. There is just a slight risk of a thunderstorm or shower late Saturday.

The weather in the rest of Canada has been interesting to say the least. It has been torrid in BC with nearly 17 record highs set Tuesday alone including a sweltering 35.8 in Lytton. The hot and dry weather has created numerous fires, some that are burning out of control. Low pressure moving across the Rockies should cool the area starting tomorrow. That same low pressure will bring rain to the southern Rockies and Alberta. the rain may change to a June snowfall late Friday and overnight. Some areas in the foothills could see up to 5cm of wet snow. Yes it is June.

Where is summer?

7pm UPDATE: My good friend in Merrickville, ON, Ryan B http://abitofeverythingsports.blogspot.com/ sent me these 2 pictures (above) of hail this afternoon. Several thunderstorms produced small hail in many areas. There was even some snow in western Quebec and across the higher elevations of the Adirondacks in NY.

Frost and freeze warnings dot this map from the National Weather Service. Is it June or October?

The cool & wet weather this weekend has continued the trend established very early in May. With the month drawing to a close, the average temperature here in Montreal for May 2009 is 12.6C, a full degree below the normal. At this hour it is a ridiculous 6C outside with light rain and gusty northwest winds over 40km/h. The temperature has been falling all day since a cold front passed the region overnight, including a six degree drop since noon. Kemptville dropped all the way to 5C at 2pm but has since "warmed" to 10C. Spotty showers and even some small hail and thunder have been reported with the unstable and cold air mass. The front has left us with very chilly air that will result in clearing skies tonight and frost in many regions to greet the start of June. The normal high for May 31 should be 23C. Warnings are out south of the border as well as for west Quebec.

Below: Strong winds stir up the St. Lawrence River behind a cold frontal passage today. SB Pic

The cool weather will continue this week with temperatures around the 20C mark by late in the week. Showers are possible on Tuesday with sunny skies expected expected before more rain next weekend.

Rainy Friday

Above: Swirling rains and fog slowed the morning rush hour on Champlain Bridge in Montreal. SB Photo

Rain and thunderstorms will continue this morning in southern Quebec and taper off in eastern Ontario. From 15-25mm of rain has occurred in most areas, with the heaviest rain remaining to the south of our region across the Adirondacks of New York where a flood watch remains in effect. The forecasted totals were pretty accurate with the 25mm in in our region and the 50-75mm across the areas south of the valley. Look for stubborn low clouds and some showers to remain in the area through most of the weekend. It will not be a washout by any stretch, but it won't be summery either as the temperature remains well below normal.

Yesterday the first tropical depression of the season formed in the Atlantic, and this morning is some 400 miles south southwest of Halifax. It is no threat to land with winds of 35mph and is expected to remain below the Tropical Storm threshold of 39 mph. The season officially begins June 1st and runs through November.

Below: TD 1 south of Halifax.

A soaker on tap

We share a forecast area with upstate New York and northern Vermont. Often the forecasts from Environment Canada and the National Weather Service in the US can be so different it makes you wonder if they read each others forecast products. Today is one of those times. They both agree it will be wet for the next several days, but our US colleagues have posted a Flood Watch and are forecasting between 50-100mm (2-4 inches) of rain through Friday with even higher amounts, especially in the St. Lawrence Valley. On this side of the border the forecast calls for 15-25mm or close to an inch of rain with perhaps another 10mm on Friday. Time will tell. The culprit is low pressure over the Midwest and an elongated warm front south of the lower lakes. The warm front will move north and become stationary across upstate New York. It will become the axis for very heavy rain late tonight and Thursday. As the front very slowly lifts north of the region we can expect isolated thunderstorms to occur from late Thursday in Friday morning. These will add to the heavy rain event. The potential exists for some small stream flooding and ponding of water on roadways, especially along the US border. Winds will be gusty out of the northeast, and it will be cool today and Thursday and warm slightly to near normal Friday. The weekend at this point looks better, but it is early in the week.

More rain - cool weather

This years weather is slowly beginning to resemble that of last summer when every weekend through June, July and August was cool and wet. When September rolled around it was as if we had no summer at all. The various models that forecasters look at are showing no major warm up in sight. Temperatures last night dropped to 3C in Kemptville and 6C in Montreal. It was cool for May, but a stiff northeast breeze eliminated the frost threat at least in this area. Regions to the south in the Adirondacks and Green Mountains dropped to and in some cases below 0C, and frost was reported. We have warmed since to 7C and clouds are on the increase as the next weather system is poised to move east and control our weather for the balance of the week. Rain and thunderstorms can be expected from late tonight into Friday. This system produced 25-50mm of rain along its path from the southern Prairies across northwest Ontario. We can expect a little less here, but it will be wet and cool.

Frost Warning

The weather in Ottawa was spectacular yesterday for the Capital City Marathon. SB Photo

Here we are nearly at the end of May and we are still talking frost. High pressure will crest over the area tonight and result in frost and freezing temperatures across Ontario, southwest Quebec and much of New England and New York. Frost Warnings have been posted. http://www.erh.noaa.gov/btv/headline/index.php

This spring has seen several 30C days but for the most part it has been unseasonably cool with numerous nights close to freezing. I expect the area around Kemptville will dip to 0C tonight, along with other rural regions of Eastern Ontario and Quebec. The area around the big cities and close to the river or Great Lakes should stay just above the freezing point at 2 or 3C.

It will be sunny on Tuesday and a little warmer, close to 19C. Low pressure organizing over the northern plains will slide into the region for the balance of the week with unsettled weather, showers and thunderstorms.

Fair Weekend

Strong southwest winds blow across Lake St. Louis on Montreal's West Island. The winds drove the temperature up to 29C yesterday. SB Photo.

The skies have cleared this afternoon over all region as high pressure moves into the area. A few clouds may prevail early Saturday, but it will otherwise be a very dry and pleasant weekend. The overnight period will be quite cool both days but temperatures under the warm May sun will warm into the low twenties on both Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday was very warm in Montreal with a high of 29C. It was short of the record, but there were record highs reported elsewhere including Halifax and Charlottetown. Moncton was one of the warmest locations in the country at 32C. Kingston, ON was an excellent example of just how cold the Great Lakes are in the spring, and how they can influence the weather. With the wind blowing off Lake Ontario yesterday morning, Kingston struggled to reach 17C by 3pm yesterday. Between 2-3pm the wind switched from the south off the water to the west off the land. The temperature responded by hitting 25C in less than an hour.

Heavy rain, flooding and coastal beach erosion continue over south Florida as low pressure spins from the Atlantic across the state and into the northern Gulf of Mexico. The storm is non tropical in nature, but has still produced up to 20 inches of rain in places this week, including in Daytona Beach. Strong winds out of the northeast have produced beach erosion and coastal flooding. The storm is forecast to slowly move along the Gulf Coast this weekend as far west as New Orleans.

BIG warm up arrives

The warm front has finally lifted north of Montreal and temperatures are responding under bright sunshine. The temperature has risen from 5C at 11am to 14C at 5pm at Dorval. Ontario is even warmer with Ottawa going from 8C at 11am to 24C at 5pm a rise of 16 degrees in just a few hours. Toronto and Windsor were in the upper 20's. The warm air will remain in place overnight tonight and Thursday before a cold front arrives on Friday. Look for temperatures to be between 27 and 30C in both provinces on Thursday and remaining in the upper teens tonight.

Much warmer air on the way

Much warmer air is streaming northeast into Ontario at this hour. It has yet to reach Montreal as we remain north of the warm front with a gusty northeast wind and low clouds with drizzle. It is only 5C at Dorval (41F) but it is already 24C (76F), 35 degrees warmer in Toronto behind the front. Brockville and Kemptville also remain north of the front but a little warmer near 11C. Look for all areas to gradually become sunny this afternoon on increasing Southwest winds and much warmer temperatures. Tomorrow under sunny and hazy skies all areas will reach near 30C except close to the lakes and rivers where it will be a little cooler.

The mild air will remain into the weekend, but it will be a little cooler, close to 21C.

Frost and snow, May?

The fog and showers did not discourage the many Canadian visitors to the Seacoast of Main and New Hampshire this past weekend. At left is the Piscataqua River Bridge separating Kittery, Main from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. PJ Photo

Hi folks, sorry for the break in updates to the blog this past weekend, I was in coastal Maine and New Hampshire for the long weekend enjoying some beach time. The weather was chilly, and breezy with showers, but it did not matter I live to get away to the Seacoast.

The weather remains unseasonably cold throughout many areas of the country and well south into the southern US. Temperatures were running 10 to 20 degrees below normal this holiday weekend. There was even scattered frost again last night in our region on what is typically the official start to planting season. Not only has it been cold, but snow is falling in many parts of Alberta with 10-20cm expected in Edmonton. Currently it is 0C with freezing rain in Edmonton.

Montreal has warmed nicely today on southwest winds. We are at 17C at noon. Much warmer air is forecast to invade the east coast, Ontario, Quebec and New England this week as a warm front moves in late today and Wednesday. Look for high temperatures to reach 30C on Thursday before it cools into the Memorial Day weekend.

Winds reach 100km/h

Police direct traffic in downtown Montreal today after winds cut power in several areas. SB Pic

Sporadic power outages totaling nearly 61,000 customers (CBC.ca) in the province of Quebec and several downed trees and power lines have been reported in the wake of strong southerly winds today. The winds developed near daybreak this morning and are beginning to taper off this afternoon. They developed in advance of a sharp cold front moving into the region. Gusts were recorded at 90km/h in South Shore St. Hubert, and reached nearly 100km/h in some portions of the Quebec City region. Elsewhere they remained below warning criteria with gusts to 60km/h reported on the Island of Montreal. Gusts in the St. Lawrence Valley of Ontario reached 60km/h. South of the region in New York it was much the same with the Champlain Valley recording winds in excess of 50mph. Plattsburg, NY had a peak gust of 43mph so far.

The biggest impact of the windstorm was the closure of Highway 10 near St Jean in the Richelieu Valley. The winds toppled three tractor trailers into the ditch. While traffic was a mess and the clean up time consuming, no injuries were reported. Fire crews on and off the island have been responding to several downed trees and dangling power lines.

From CBC.ca a truck lies on its side east of Montreal on Highway 10.

Windy Thursday

Another ocean going vessel noses its way towards the St. Lambert locks in the St. Lawrence Seaway today. Winds will play havoc with smaller craft on the river Thursday. Gale warnings have been issued.

It was just a beautiful day across our area today. Bright sunshine allowed the mercury to climb into the low twenties in most regions. A frontal system will bring showers and thunderstorms to the area on Thursday along with very strong south winds. Winds will gust from 30-50km/h in Ontario and Quebec and from 50-90km/h across northern New York and the Champlain and Richelieu Valley's. Wind warnings are in effect for those regions. Skies will clear late Thursday and Friday should be sunny and mild.

Sunny & warmer

Temperatures this morning fell to 0C in Kemptville and 3C in Montreal. Frost was scattered around the region but was light in Ontario and Quebec. Temperatures across the higher elevations of the Adirondacks in New York were below freezing, and the frost was a little thicker in places there. It is nothing but sunshine and warmer temperatures for today and Wednesday, before a weather system brings the region showers and thunderstorms to end the week.

Frost Warning

Clear skies and calm winds will allow for the temperature to drop to near freezing in most areas of Eastern Ontario, western Quebec and upstate New York. The cool temperatures will likely allow frost to form just before sunrise in many regions, especially away from urban centres and the St. Lawrence River. Frost Warnings and Advisories are in effect for all our regions on both sides of the International border. The weather will be sunny and milder on Tuesday and for the rest of the week diminishing the frost threat.

The National Weather Service in Burlington Vermont has confirmed an EF1 tornado in Washington, Vermont (photo above) this past Saturday. The storm produced 100mph winds and caused considerable damage including a roof blown off an apartment building. The system that produced the tornado was the same storm that brought our first round of severe weather on Friday with strong winds and hail reported in Ontario and extreme southern Quebec along the US border.

I took the photo on the left today near the Quebec/Ontario border in Glengary County. Hydro One crews as well as several other public work personnel were busy cleaning up tree branches and prunning trees away from wires. The photo above is from Fox 44 News and is tornado damage in Vermont.

Incidentally while we are paying 102.4 a litre for gas in Montreal, it was 85.9 cents a litre in Lancaster, Ontario. Trust me it is worth the drive to this quaint little village on the St. Lawrence River. I love that place, and I have since I was a little kid. It is a very short drive down the 401 or for an even better drive take the 2.

Happy Mother's Day

A tug resembling Theodore passes through the Laprairie basin dwarfing this fisherman just prior to yesterdays thunderstorms. SB photo

The rain sadly will not go away soon enough for a sunny Mother's Day. Yesterday heavy thunderstorms rattled across the Ottawa Valley and passed south of Montreal. Heavy rain and lots of hail was reported in Ontario with just rain in Quebec. Today was muggy again with steady rain as low pressure and the associated fronts moved across the region. Radar tonight is still showing areas of rain and thunderstorms to our west and south. Expect more rain overnight with dropping temperatures and increasing winds. Sunday will be cloudy and cool with gusty winds and scattered showers.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe thunderstorms have fired up in the muggy air this afternoon. Radar at 3pm is showing two clusters, one moving into southern Quebec south of the St. Lawrence River, and the second cluster just moving through the south end of Ottawa and stretching into Lanark County. Both clusters are moving east and will affect all of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. A severe thunderstorm warning has been posted for Ottawa and Smiths Falls. I imagine it will be extended eastward into Leeds & Grenville and S D & G. The second cluster has prompted a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the counties south of Montreal to the US Border. High winds and heavy rain with small hail is possible.

Muggy with some thunder

Very unsettled weather is expected across our forecast region right through this upcoming weekend. After yesterdays steady rain, nearly 15mm in most areas, today has dawned muggy and much warmer with some intervals of sun. The sun will only destabilize the atmosphere and promote some thunderstorm development this afternoon, especially along a frontal boundary that will slide through the region. Look for showers and thunderstorms after lunch in Kemptville and Ottawa and close to the supper hour in Montreal.

A similar scenario is on tap for Saturday with lots of sunny breaks, mild, muggy air and afternoon thunderstorms. The Saturday storms may be more vigorous as a stronger cold front is expected to slide across Eastern Ontario and Quebec. This will be followed by yet another low pressure system for Sunday. I expect more rain Sunday, but it is looking a little milder than it did 24 hours ago.

Lots of rain Thursday

Tuesday proved to be a very pleasant day across eastern Ontario and southwest Quebec. The expected showers held off for the entire day and the mercury inched up to 21C or 70F. Today has dawned showery across Quebec with clearing skies in Ontario. The storm system responsible for the morning showers is moving along the Atlantic coast up into the Maratimes this morning. The western edge of the precipitation shield has just caught the St. Lawrence Valley. The showers falling this morning will be light, and should end by noon. Some sunny breaks can be expected this afternoon with mild temperatures.

Another more potent low will move from the Ohio Valley towards New York State on Thursday. Look for steady rain to overspread the entire region overnight and continue into Thursday with 20-30mm expected. We will have some breaks on Friday with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Saturday will have clearing skies and warm weather, and it will be the best day of the weekend. It looks like Mother's Day will be cloudy, windy and cool with more rain.

Wet week ahead

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surveys the damage in Irving, Texas after thunderstorms collapsed a practice facility injuring several coaches. Photo: The Dallas Morning News

It was a beautiful but chilly weekend across Ontario and Quebec to start the month of May. I went down to Plattsburg, N.Y. yesterday and they had more cloud cover than southern Quebec. The cloud was part of out next weather maker that will introduce a week of showery weather with just a few breaks for Montreal, Ottawa and the Seaway Valley. Today will be sunny, and we are off to a good start in the temperature department, already at 13C. With the warm May sun we may reach plus 18 to 20C in places. The balance of the week will be affected by a slow moving frontal system that will lift north into New York State tonight. This system has been responsible for heavy rain across the middle Atlantic and severe weather in the deep south. Numerous tornadoes occurred yesterday and individual thunderstorms cells knocked down trees and power lines in many states. The Dallas Cowboys training facility suffered some heavy damage as well when a tent collapsed injuring several people during rookie camp on Saturday.

The buds were out yesterday along the shores of Lake Champlain in upstate N.Y. Photo SB

This system will provide our regions with cool and showery weather through Wednesday before yet another deepening low pressure area moves in on Thursday with more showers. May can be a difficult month with the cool and wet weather hanging on. We had a very dry and mild March and April, so perhaps it is time for the "April showers", one month late.

Strong Winds

Very strong southwest winds are blowing at this hour across the St. Lawrence Valley. They have reached over 50km/h in Montreal and along the south shore and will continue to

 

 

increase to well over 60km/h this evening. A cold front will pass through the region late this afternoon and this evening with scattered showers and maybe even some thunder. It will clear out overnight and become much cooler. This weekend should be partly cloudy and chilly.

 The photos above are a tangled mess of wires on Rome Blvd in Brossard this afternoon. The wind has been gusting well over 50km/h along the riverfront.

Rain and Thunderstorms

A warm front associated with low pressure to out west is moving into the St. Lawrence Valley this evening. Ahead of it showers and thunderstorms will develop and produce a steady rain overnight in Montreal, Ottawa and Kemptville. The rain will taper to scattered showers on Friday and it will be muggy and quite warm. Late in the day a cold front will trigger some thunderstorms before much cooler and dryer air arrives for the weekend.

Ahead of the cold front on Friday strong southwest winds will develop and gust to 60km/h. In the Richelieu Valley of southern Quebec they may gust over 90km/h. A Wind Warning has been posted for that region.

High pressure will clear skies out on Saturday, it will be breezy and much cooler with temperatures around 13C.
**Today Montreal reached 21C, tomorrow will be mild as well, close to 20C in most areas prior to the cold frontal passage.

Prairie snowstorm

Skies begin to clear out as what remains of a cold front moves south and east as the sun sets over Montreal. Note the plane taking off from Dorval on the left and St. Joseph's Oratory on the right. SB Photo

A potent low pressure area moving across the state of Montana is bringing a wide variety of weather to the central and northern US as well as the southern prairies. Despite the calender heavy snow has been falling in southern Alberta with nearly 50cm along the foothills of the Rockies. The snow is moving into southwest and southern Saskatchewan where warnings are in effect for the Cypress Hills and Assiniboia region. That area can expect 10-20cm of wet snow. The snow has started falling this morning as temperatures have slipped to the freezing point in many regions. Accompanying the snow will be strong winds out of the northeast at 50-70km/h. The same storm is producing a wide swath of severe weather along the trailing cold front. Tornadoes and hail are expected from central Nebraska to southern Texas. The system is expected to continue east with a soaking rain and thunderstorms forecast for Ontario and Quebec late Thursday into Friday. More on that later today.

Meanwhile yesterday's heat shattered more weather records in Quebec and New England. It was 92F in Portland, Maine. That temperature was the warmest April day ever recorded in that city. Boston was 90F to set a record, but it is only forecast to reach 57F today as much colder air filters into the east coast.

Cooling trend - Two confirmed Tornadoes

The cold front has passed through Ontario and Quebec and is now moving into New England. Prior to its passage Montreal reached 23C, we have since dropped to 11C. Burlington, Vermont was at 29C at noon they are now at 14C. The front will continue to move southeast driving what is left of the record warmth east into the Atlantic. Boston and numerous other locations in southern New England remain in the low thirties this afternoon.

Environment Canada has confirmed two separate tornadoes from last Saturday's severe weather. The first and F-0 capable of winds up to 115km/h occurred in Windsor. The second, also an F-0, occurred later in the day in the Brittania Bay area of Ottawa towards Carling Heights. Damage in that area included downed power lines, trees and roofs torn off some homes. The damage path was from 50m to 150m wide and over 5km long. They were the first two confirmed tornadoes in Ontario this year.

Warm east, snow west

A slow moving cold front is currently moving across Ontario into southern Quebec. It will bring an end to the very warm weather of yesterday and overnight. It is currently 21C in Montreal, but only 9C in Toronto behind the front. Yesterday we saw temperatures at least 15 degrees above normal. The mercury reached 30.3C in Kemptville and 29.4C in Montreal. Other hot spots included 33C at Plattsburgh, NY and 31C in Ottawa.

The colder air is being accompanied this morning by some showers and embedded thunderstorms. The likelihood of thunder will increase the further east you are today as it has become much warmer in parts of Quebec and New England. Once the front clears we can expect more seasonable temperatures for the foreseeable future. There is a risk of some showers late Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, a strong spring storm is producing heavy rain on the east side of the system and heavy snow along and to the north of the track. Heavy snow is expected to fall across the Cypress Hills region of both provinces with 10-20cm expected. 5-10cm is possible in the Assiniboia and Gravelbourg area and along the Montana Border. The rain and snow will be accompanied by strong northeast winds from 50-70km/h.

Huge temperature swing

The temperature in Kemptville has soared to 30C at 3pm. This is after an overnight low of plus 7C reached at 6am this morning. That is an increase of 23 degrees in about 7 hours. In Fahrenheit that is a whopping 41 degree temperature rise. Montreal is currently at 26C after a low of 10C. It should continue warm and a little more humid throughout the afternoon and evening. Most areas will rise to between 28 and 30C today.

Meanwhile heavy snow warnings are in effect for southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan as an intense low over Montana spreads snow across the southern prairies tonight. Temperatures are hovering around the freezing point.

Wild Weather Weekend

Tree damage in the GTA yesterday

What an introduction to summer weather for Ontario and Quebec. Yesterday was downright sultry with new record high temperatures established across Ontario and Quebec including 28.3C in Montreal shattering the record of 27C set in 1942. Other records fell across many regions of the province including 30C in Sherbrooke. It was close to 32C in Concord, NH and 31C in Cornwall. Eastern Ontario was slightly cooler as a cold front moved into that region earlier in the day. Most regions were around 26C. However Ontario bore the brunt of fierce thunderstorms that developed along a sharp cold front late in the day and early evening. Toronto's Pearson Airport recorded a 115km/h wind gust the strongest there since a winter storm in January 1978. Gatineau had a gust to 96km/h. Many areas reported damage and injuries. Nearly 44,000 Hydro One customers were left without power with another 10,000 reported by Ottawa Hydro. Several roofs were damaged in Vanier and across the Gatineau region. Trees were down and many roads blocked. Funnel clouds were spotted in Ottawa and in Fergus west of the GTA.

The storms missed the Montreal region. Today is nearly 20 degrees colder in many cities, however that will be very short lived as the cold front retreats back north tonight and places us back in the hot and humid air. Look for highs to approach 30C again on Monday.

Record warmth possible Saturday

It will be an up and down temperature weekend. Let me try to explain. High pressure today produced sunny skies will warm temperatures near 20C in Montreal and into the 20's in eastern Ontario. A warm front will lift north of the region overnight with a 40% chance of isolated showers or even a rumble of thunder. Tomorrow will be sunny and even muggy with highs close to 27C in many regions. A back door cold front will slide across the region late Saturday night and usher in much colder air on northeast winds with showers and thunderstorms. It will only reach around 10C on Sunday.
However that same front will lift north again on Monday putting us back into the warm air with a high of 27C on Monday. I hope all that makes sense. Saturday is the better of the two days. Be very careful around area waterways. It will be warm tomorrow, but the water is still dangerously cold and should be avoided. Hypothermia could set in very quickly. Remember that is you are fishing or boating this weekend.

I have been working on the road this week and away from my computer often. I will be doing the same for the next couple of weeks. I will try to update the blog in the evenings. The links at the left are always current. Thank you so much for reading. Have a safe weekend.

Warming trend

Fog and low clouds hang over Montreal yesterday.

It is a cool chilly morning in Montreal. We have had on and off showers for the last 36 hours with about 16mm so far. More showers are expected today as the air remains moist and unstable. Yesterday afternoon some thunderstorms with small hail developed in southern Ontario. With such a cool air mass and lots of instability in place it is possible that we could see the same today. This is especially true if some sunny breaks were to occur.

The shower threat should end by midday on Thursday followed by clearing skies. The weekend look glorious, maybe the best since last September. Look for sunny skies with warm to even hot temperatures. Highs will be near 26C both days. It will slightly cooler the closer to any body of water you are. The waterways are still very cold mostly in the single digits.

• Celebrate Earth Day today. Take a shower instead of a bath, walk to work or take the bus, and turn off some lights. Lets take care of our planet and each other. Visit http://www.earthday.net/ for events and suggestions on how you can help.

BIG Warm up on the way

The sun sets Monday across Nuns Island and the St. Lawrence Valley. SB Pic

Break out the shorts and the sunscreen, it is going to hit 80F on Saturday (27C). That first hot day each spring is always such a treat. Bikes will be hitting the paths, cars will be washed and waxed and many will hit the links for the first time this season.

It is raining this morning across most of the reading area from New York north across Quebec and west into Eastern Ontario. Generally 10-15mm fell overnight, with another 10-15 expected today and tonight. The culprit is a very slow moving low pressure area over Lake Huron moving east. It will continue to influence our weather into Thursday. Showers can be expected with chilly north to northeast winds. Some snow has even been reported in northern New England and north of Quebec City.

After this system moves east, strong high pressure will set up along the southeast US coast and pump very warm air northward for Friday through Sunday. It should be mainly sunny and temperatures will soar to between 23C and 27C all three days. Just a splendid forecast for this upcoming weekend.

Unsettled Week Ahead

Deep low pressure over the Ohio Valley is forecast to move north towards Michigan this week. Rain is already moving into southern Ontario with a warm front associated with the aforementioned storm. The rain will push north and east towards Ottawa, Kemptville and eventually Montreal. The precipitation will become heavy at times Monday night and Tuesday before tapering to showers on Wednesday. Amounts should be impressive with 15-30mm expected. Winds will be a factor with this storm as well, gusting out of the northeast from 30-60km/h in advance of the storm and eventually backing to the west and gusting over 60km/h.

Some snow is occurring on the back side of the storm over northwest Ontario. 5cm fell at Thunder Bay overnight. In the southeast US the system produced sever thunderstorms and tornadoes yesterday.

The end of the week will see some clearing and much milder temperatures. Highs by Friday could be close to 20C in the St. Lawrence Valley.

Sunny today - Rainy Saturday

The flooding in Winnipeg continues as the Red River has reached 15 feet over flood stage. Winnipeg Free Press

It will be the warmest day of the season so far today. Temperatures will warm to between plus 17 and 19C in most areas with abundant sunshine. The warm weather and gusty southwest winds that develop will create ideal conditions for grass fires. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for upstate New York and Vermont. This is put in place when very dry conditions combine with strong winds to present a dangerous fire situation. Fire bans are in place as well. The same very dry conditions exist on this side of the border as well, so curtail any outdoor burning. The situation will ease tonight with the approach of a storm from the US. Rain will overspread the area overnight. It will be cool and rainy on Saturday with clearing skies and cooler weather for Sunday.

Sorry folks for the lack of updates this week, I am trying to put a new schedule in place and things should return to daily updates shortly. Thanks for reading.

Happy Easter

With the storm track to our south and east, the entire region, including eastern Ontario and southwest Quebec will enjoy a fair but chilly Easter. Winds will be gusty out of the north and west and we will only reach plus 3C today. The balance of the week will be sunny and seasonable with no rain in sight through the entire week. Temperatures will warm from 9C to 15C by next Saturday. Good time to wash the car and rake the lawn.

Happy Easter...

Sunny but chilly Easter

The sun will break out for the upcoming Easter weekend, but it will remain cold for early April. Low pressure that has been hanging over the region all week will finally give way to high pressure building in from the west. Any lingering sprinkles or flurries will end tonight. It will will be cold again with lows below freezing in most areas. This weeks light snow, from 1-3cm in many regions in the Valley's and more in the higher elevations, iced up roads pretty good just before sunrise yesterday morning. Numerous accidents were reported across eastern Ontario and southwest Quebec including a fatal collision on County Road 2 near Glen Walter, just east of Cornwall. Two mini vans collided killing a 13 year old passenger.

Even thought it is spring, please remember to adjust your speed on any wet surfaces these next few days. I noticed many drivers going way too fast yesterday morning for the conditions.

Back to the Easter forecast, high pressure will remain in place giving us sunshine, but a cold northwest wind will be around all weekend. This is thanks to another storm that will move well south of us and then too our east. The circulation around this system will maintain cool winds in Quebec and Ontario. It has been a windy month so far in April with peak gusts between 30-50km/h each day in Montreal.

April SNOW

Light Snow obscures downtown Montreal today.

Strong low pressure near Montreal continues to move northeast this afternoon. Radar is showing bands of light snow moving along the St. Lawrence Valley and across eastern Ontario into Quebec. A dusting to as much as 4cm may accumulate in some areas. Snow fell this morning in Montreal, and more is possible this afternoon (I can see it actually moving into the city from the west as we speak 3:20pm). The temperature has dropped to close to the freezing point, and strong northwest winds are increasing to over 50km/h. It is a raw, chilly day for April with white caps on the river. It will not improve much tomorrow with more flurries and cold.

The storm produced quite an impressive swath of snow in Ontario yesterday. 36cm fell at Thornburry near Collingwood, with 25cm in Barrie, 13cm in Petawawa and 8cm at both Toronto (Buttonville) and Windsor. Lake Effect Snow Warnings remain in effect for the eastern Lake Ontario Counties in New York for more snow and gusty winds tonight. 20cm may fall there and travel is not advised on Interstate 81.

The Red Sox home opener is today at 4pm against Tampa Bay. They were rained out yesterday. Today is just slightly better in Boston at 7C with a gusty northwest wind.

GO SOX!!!

Missing in Action: My red Saturn, 2000 SL1, Quebec Plate: 298 XFH - Red Sox Nation Sticker on back. I want it back, it was stolen Friday in Montreal. At the very least my sticker!

Storm moves eastward

Strong low pressure in western New York continues to deepen as it slides northeast towards southern Quebec. The rain and fog occurring in Montreal and Eastern Ontario will continue tonight accompanied by gusty northeast winds to 50km/h. Precipitation will end late Tuesday as a period of drizzle or flurries. West of a line from Renfrew south to eastern Lake Ontario and upstate New York from Watertown west, the precipitation has changed to wet snow. The wet snow will become heavy in places and accumulate as much as 20cm. Travel in those areas in not recommended tonight or Tuesday. It is already at the freezing point with light snow in Toronto. While the heaviest snow will remain north and west of the city, it may still be slippery in the GTA. All precipitation will come to an end by Wednesday.

At this hour Warnings are in place for the counties of western New York as well as the regions around Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Heavy rain warnings are in effect for the Quebec City and Beauce regions, with heavy snow expected further north of the St. Lawrence River towards the Saguenay.

Signs of spring

Despite the snow that fell in many areas yesterday and this morning and the new storm that is poised to hit our region, there are many signs of spring out there. I have posted a couple below, including the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the tulips and other flowers that are beginning to pop through the thawing soil. In addition to these things, the heavy rain of the last few days has caused the rivers north of Montreal to begin flooding. Some flooding has occurred in Laval, and it will need to be watched closely with the approach of this next storm.

Low pressure will move from the Midwest into New York on Monday. This strong storm will spread rain into all regions Monday. This rain will change to snow by late Monday in the areas north and west or Toronto. Heavy Snow Warnings are in place for 15-25cm of wet snow. In regions where rain occurs look for up to 25mm which could produce some flooding locally. North of Montreal towards Quebec City, heavy rain and snow is expected as well. A Winter Strom Watch has been posted for Western NY for the risk of heavy snow on the backside of the storm late Monday.All regions can expect strong northeast winds from 40-60km/h with chilly temperatures for April.

 The Atlantic Erie passing under the Champlain Bridge in Montreal,  and heading west into the Seaway today. SB Picture.

An April Snowstorm?

I want to apologize for the lack of updates this week. It has been a challenging week that started with the tragic accident in Saskatchewan that I wrote about below and ended last night with the theft of my car here in Montreal. The car was so reliable and took me to many weather and news events throughout the last 8 years and I will miss it. Anyway the events have preoccupied me and left me not in the mood to blog.

I am back tonight on this dreary Saturday. We have already had more precipitation this month than we did all of March. Kemptville recorded over 40mm of rain from this most recent system with close to 50mm in other pats of Ontario. Montreal is still reporting rain and had recorded 14.8mm yesterday. In Quebec the most rain was reported at Charlevoix with 82mm and an 85km/h wind gust was observed at Quebec City. Some regions of Ontario including the Ottawa Valley are also reporting wet snow tonight, enough to cover roadways.

As this storm spins off to the east another area of low pressure is developing over the US Southwest. This storm will pass south of our area Monday and Tuesday. The potential exists for heavy wet snow and rain over the region. The forecast track is still uncertain and I post an update on this storm early Sunday.

Be good to one another see you tomorrow.

Maybe even a little snow!

Despite the record warmth yesterday and the 13C reading today so far, a little snow is not out of the question in the coming days. Lets face it, most people believed that winter really was not over. Come on, it can’t be that easy with no snow in Montreal for both March and April!

A major storm currently in the Ohio Valley will move into New York Sate with rain and snow.

The photo on the left is Spring Cleaning in the Plateau area of Montreal yesterday.

An area of heavy rain and thunderstorms is approaching the St. Lawrence Valley from the south and will overspread the region this afternoon. The rain will continue into Saturday before tapering off to showers or flurries. The greatest risk of any measurable snow will be in the Ottawa Valley and across Eastern Ontario. Look for 25-40mm of rain, so it will be a significant system. Winds will, also be very strong from 30-50km/h. Sunday should be pleasant before another storm from the southwest US begins to affect our weather Monday. Behind that system there is an even better change of accumulating snow next week. That may be our last snow of the year.

I just want to send my thoughts and condolences to Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan today. They have the terrible task of burying three wonderful young girls who died tragically last Saturday night. I knew two of the girls and their families as well. My daughter Maggie was very close to one of the girls Laramie when they went to school back in 2000 and they were in touch often. This shirt was a gift to Maggie when we left. Laramie’s message is in the centre. Words cannot express my grief and sadness for them at this time.

Rain & Thunderstorms

Strong low pressure over Arkansas is forecast to move towards southern Ontario and Quebec over the next 24 hours. Heavy rain will spread north and east tonight and reach Montreal by Friday morning. The heavy rain will be accompanied by gusty winds and some thunderstorms. At the moment no rain warnings have been posted, however that may change. Forecasters are expecting between 20-40mm of rain in most regions.

April started beautiful yesterday and today with very mild air in place. It is currently 16C in Montreal and sunny.

Now that March is a distant memory, who would have ever believed we could go through the month with less than 5cm of snow and no major storms. Our last snowstorm was on February 22. Normally Montreal should receive over 35cm of snow for an average March.