Winter Storm Warning

We have another rather difficult forecast as deepening low pressure over the Great Lakes is forecast to move towards Ottawa and east across southern Quebec today and tonight. A warm front remains draped over the border region keeping warm air to our south and cold air at the surface in the St. Lawrence Valley. This is a very similar setup to last week. What this means weather wise is a whole mix of precipitation ranging from snow to sleet to freezing rain and just some old plain rain, especially south of Montreal toward the US border. The first batch of precip brought a trace of snow to Montreal overnight along with some patchy freezing rain. It was enough to slow the morning commute. The next batch will lift out of southern Ontario and across the region by afternoon. Winter storm warnings are in effect for all of eastern Ontario as well as southern and central Quebec. The mix will accumulate 10-15cm across the southern regions with 15-25cm further north. Ottawa can expect about 20cm with Montreal closer to 10cm. South of the St. Lawrence, rain and mixed precipitation will limit amounts to under 5cm, the same is true for the GTA where temperatures are already well above freezing at 4C, rain with warm highs near 8C is forecast today.

The other factor with this strengthening storm will be an increase in surface winds. Winds are forecast out of the northeast at 20 to 40km/h most of the day here in Montreal, keeping the valley cold enough for snow and freezing rain. They will back to the northwest tonight and increase to between 50 and 80km/h. Temperatures will slowly warm from where they are now at -8C, up to 0C and perhaps a degree or two above overnight and then drop during the day on Wednesday as colder air moves in behind the storm with some flurries as well.

More snow and freezing rain

Reality has settled in across most of Canada today as the cold continues in the east and returns to the west. It was a frigid 24 hours here in Montreal with the mercury bottoming out at -26C on Ile Perrot yesterday morning. As I write we just dropped to -24C. It is "warmer" downtown and at the airport at -18C. Winds are not a factor today as they were most of the day yesterday. They are however expected to pick up once again today as low pressure approaches from the US. Meanwhile it is just plain cold in Alberta and the prairies as a piece of that arctic air affecting Alaska begins to settle south. Edmonton is at -26C this morning, and that is it folks. The temperature will actually stay steady or fall today to lows around -31C. The entire week looks cold.

Here in southern Quebec and Ontario we are looking for an increase in southwest winds today ahead of a storm gathering strength in the US Midwest. This system will move down the St. Lawrence Valley and very near Montreal tomorrow. The best forecast at this time calls for snow to start overnight and accumulate 5 to 10cm in Montreal and Ottawa before changing to freezing rain and eventually rain south of the St. Lawrence on Tuesday. There is still some conflict between computer models on the exact track of the low, and that as we know will affect precipitation type and intensity. If I was a betting man, I would lean towards more snow than rain. In any event all precip will end as a period of snow overnight Tuesday, and it will turn blustery and much colder again. At this time we only have a special weather statement out from Environment Canada. It is likely that some type of warning will be issued for a portion of our region. I will update this as the information become available.

Storm Update

Just some of the 25cm of snow that fell in the last 24 hours here in west end Montreal. (ValleyWX Pic)

At 8pm temperatures have started falling across eastern Ontario and Quebec as low pressure passes directly to our south. The mercury has dropped to -8C in Ottawa and -4C in Montreal. Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect on the US side of the border from upstate New York into Vermont and on our side of the border in the Eastern Townships. Elsewhere they have been allowed to expire.

The storm had a central pressure of 980mb, and I recorded 981mb around 1pm this afternoon here on Ile Perrot. The intense system produced a wide variety of precipitation across the entire region and is still affecting us tonight. Snow has accumulated close to 25cm (10 inches) here in Montreal and it continues to fall. Winds have increased this evening to over 40km/h producing considerable blowing and drifting snow, especially off island. The snow should taper off overnight with totals coming ever so close to 30cm. In one storm we have nearly equalled the snowfall for the entire season. The storm also produced freezing rain with around 10mm of ice here in Montreal and much more to our southwest. The heavy freezing rain in the southern St. Lawrence Valley, combined with the heavy snow today, brought down tree limbs onto power lines. At one point today another 9000 Hydro customers in Brockville were plunged back into the dark. Over 20,000 homes and businesses in eastern Ontario were without power at one point yesterday. Numerous schools and buses were cancelled both days, and air travel was severely impacted today with a number of flight cancellations here at Trudeau Airport. Scores of accidents occurred in both provinces including a fatal collision in south shore Ste. Julie this morning. Roads will remain snow covered and visibility low tonight.

Winter Storm Warning

12:00pm: Strong low pressure continues to slowly move down the St. Lawrence Valley towards Quebec at noon. Both Environment Canada and the National Weather Service have issued Winter Storm Warnings for all of the St Lawrence Valley of eastern Ontario and northern New York. Heavy snow has developed in the area and is falling at the rate of 1 inch per hour. There has even been reports of thunder with the snow. I see no reason why this heavy snow will not move into southwest Quebec this afternoon. Look for steady snow and blowing snow all day with accumulations easily reaching 15cm or more. Temperatures will begin to drop as well on increasing northwest winds. Travel is and will continue to be very poor into the overnight hours.

Storm Update

10am: Freezing rain was falling in Montreal at 10am, but it remains cold at -5C. Even with the heat in my car during the morning commute, the ice was freezing on my windows. Freezing rain will change to snow and become heavy at times late this morning along with areas of blowing snow.

Another wild weather day

Freezing Rain Warning this morning for Montreal and southern Quebec.

More snow and freezing rain fell on Montreal overnight raising our storm total to around 16cm. Some bursts of snow overnight allowed visibility to drop and the snow to accumulate rather quickly. It remains cold in Montreal and the St. Lawrence Valley as compared to regions south of us. A warm front remains draped over the border keeping the warm air at the surface to our south, but allowing it to stream in aloft, thus the freezing rain. This morning Montreal is -6C while Burlington, Vermont and Plattsburgh are above freezing.

Today will feature a deep upper low moving across the region very close to Montreal. Freezing rain warnings have been posted again for southern Quebec, I really thought the weather warning covered it nicely, but they are the experts. In any event, warning or not that storm will pass to our northeast today and drag a potent cold front across the area. If you have any mixed precipitation in your region it will become all snow by noon and it could be heavy at times before tapering off late tonight. A total of 5cm in the Ottawa Valley with up to 15cm along the St. Lawrence River is likely by tonight. Winds will increase out of the northwest and gust to 60km/h creating widespread blowing snow later today and creating dangerous travel.

Temperatures at -5C currently will nudge close to 0C by mid-morning, before dropping rapidly to -15C overnight and staying there on Saturday.

Kingston, ON - Michael Lea The Whig-Standard

Yesterday's storm dumped as much as 15mm of freezing rain between Kingston and Prescott, Ontario and on the US side between Ogdensburg and Watertown, NY. The ice brought down tree branches on power lines, caused numerous accidents along the 401 and at one time cut power to almost 20,000 homes in Ontario. It was a brief reminder of the strength and danger of ice and the 1998 ice storm.

Storm 2 on the way

Snow clearing in Ottawa today (Ottawa Citizen)

Low pressure tonight near Cape Cod was responsible for the largest snowfall of the season here in Montreal. Snow started early this morning and has since tapered off to just a few flurries. Around 10 to 12cm of snow fell on Montreal along with gusty winds up to 50km/h. Roads were snow covered in the metro region and traffic moved very slowly. While a freezing rain warning was posted for Montreal, most of the icy precipitation remained southwest of the city along the southern St. Lawrence Valley. Ice accumulated up to 1/2 inch in places knocking down trees and some power lines from Brockville to Kingston. The ice caused havoc on the roads on both sides of the border with travel not advised for a period in Jefferson, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties in New York. In Ontario numerous accidents forced the closure of the 401 east of Kingston at Joyceville Road.

At this time a winter weather advisory remains posted for southwest Quebec, northern New York and Vermont excluding the Champlain Valley for more snow, freezing rain and gusty winds starting overnight and lasting until late in the evening on Friday. The second storm, currently over Lake Huron, will slide across southern Quebec on Friday while deepening. Strong winds up to 60km/h from the northwest will cause blowing snow Friday across southern Quebec and usher in much colder air. The temperature will rise to 0C overnight and then fall to -11C by late Friday night. Another 10-15cm of snow is likely across portions of the region with 5-10cm in Montreal and Ottawa. More freezing rain is falling tonight in Ontario including Ottawa, as a result travel remains tricky.

Freezing Rain Warning

Environment Canada has extended freezing rain warnings into southern Quebec including Montreal. A wide band of moderate freezing rain has been affecting the Kingston to Cornwall area and is now moving into our region. The band has a history of rapidly depositing 10 to 15mm of ice. Ice storm warnings are also in effect for the US side of the St. Lawrence Valley. The official statement from the NWS in Burlington can be found HERE. Travel will be very slow in all regions this afternoon. Highway 401 has been closed in sections due to numerous accidents. Also some power outages have been reported in eastern Ontario.

Snow and freezing rain

AccuWeather.com

The forecast seems on track this morning as twin low pressure areas one along the east coast of the US and the other over the Ohio Valley begin to influence our weather. Light snow is spreading north into Montreal at 7am with a mix of snow and freezing rain in the 401 corridor to Kingston and rain southwest of there. Heavier snow is showing on radar south of the border along I-87 between Albany and Plattsburgh and moving north. Snow will mix with sleet and could be steady at times in southern Quebec today with accumulations of 5-10cm. Winds will be gusty out of the northeast at 30 to 50km/h. Winds are already gusting up to 40km/h at Trudeau Airport. Precipitation will taper off this evening to light freezing drizzle as the first storm system lifts northeast into Atlantic Canada. A wedge of warmer air will push temperatures up to 0C overnight in Montreal but they will begin to fall rapidly on Friday to the coldest readings this winter by Sunday morning, around -20C.

Meanwhile the main low pressure center over the Great Lakes will moves east overnight and across southern Quebec and New England on Friday. It will bring strong winds and falling temperatures with a mix of rain and snow. When all is said and done between the two systems it looks like 15cm of snow will have fallen in Montreal and Ottawa along with some liquid precipitation in the form of freezing rain or rain across extreme southern Quebec. It will be clear and cold for the weekend into Monday before another storm brings us a chance of snow on Tuesday.

Storm update

Two storms are moving into our region with snow and freezing rain. NOAA Image

A series of low pressure areas will affect southern Quebec and Ontario beginning overnight and lasting through Friday evening. Snow will arrive in southern Quebec by the end of the morning commute and will last until late in the day. It will mix at times with sleet or freezing rain especially southwest of the city towards the Ontario border. Gusty northeast winds will keep temperatures rather chilly in Montreal and blow around any snow that falls. At this point it looks like a general 5-10cm (2-4 inch) snowfall for Montreal and points south and east with up to 15cm south of the border in Vermont. Southwest of Montreal across eastern Ontario freezing rain will mix in and dominate the precipitation type from about Prescott towards Kingston. A substantial amount of ice may accumulate in those regions. Temperatures will remain steady around -10C tonight in Montreal. Roads will become snow covered and icy on Thursday, and winds will reduce visibility at times. Currently no warnings are in effect for Montreal but freezing rain warnings have been posted for Ontario from east of the GTA to Leeds and Grenville County. South of the border a winter weather advisory is in effect for Vermont and New York.

That deals with low pressure one. A second more intense system will move from Ohio down the St. Lawrence Valley on Friday passing very close to Montreal. We are looking at a decent amount of precipitation likely requiring warnings. That system will usher in very cold air changing any mixed precipitation to snow in Ontario and Quebec along with strong winds and dropping temperatures.

First winter storm?

We have used today's headline more than once this winter, but it appears we may be heading for some true winter weather. As mentioned yesterday, up to this point in the season, the largest single snow event has been around 8cm for Montreal. We are looking at at least that into Thursday evening. We will start with sunny skies today and cold temperatures as arctic high pressure crests over the region. Ile Perrot is -14C this morning with a light northerly breeze making it feel more like -18C. Clouds will be on the increase late today as a complex area of low pressure approaches Ontario and Quebec from the south and west. By Friday morning we may be dealing with at least three separate area of low pressure. They will combine to bring us two separate precipitation events over a 48 hour period. Snow will overspread the area from south to north on Thursday with highest amount, up to 10cm along the US border, closer to 5cm by Thursday evening for Montreal. The snow will be accompanied by a brisk northeast breeze causing some blowing snow. A break in the action late Thursday before a second round of more significant snow affects the entire region on Friday. Amounts are a little hard to pinpoint at this time, but at least 10cm should fall in Quebec and eastern Ontario and perhaps more. At this time the only warnings in place are south of the border across New England and New York for a mix of snow and freezing rain Thursday. I expect warnings or advisories will be needed for a portion of Ontario and Quebec by later today or Thursday.

TRAVELLING
Basically in short look for snow covered roads beginning Thursday and lasting through Friday in all our regions along with gusty winds and blowing snow. Further south and west freezing rain will mix in, with just plain rain for Toronto. On Friday it will snow in all areas. Temperatures will drop Friday with likely the coldest night of the winter on Saturday night. Looking ahead more of the same type of weather is expected for week, just in case you thought winter was over, or never coming! This is very much a developing weather event with lots of uncertainty so watch for updates here and via twitter.

Record highs, 18 feet of snow

Roads were decent at the time but that did not stop this truck from sliding off I-94 in Monticello, Minnesota and into a creek. (KARE)

There is weather going on across North America, even if ours continues to be rather quiet for January. Yesterday heavy rain and thunderstorms produced flash flooding and isolated tornadoes across southeast Texas and western Louisiana. The storms produced a record rainfall of between 4 and 5 inches across the Houston metro area. meanwhile on the backside of the storm in  Midland, Texas, 7 inches of snow fell bring their seasonal total to over 19 inches, which by the way is more than Buffalo, New York and Montreal.

More impressive snows have been falling across southern coastal Alaska including the small fishing village of Cordova, where 18 feet has fallen since Christmas Day (SEE Image below and click on map). A state of emergency is now in effect and the National Guard has been mobilized to help clear the roads and remove snow from the roofs of buildings. The weight of the snow has already collapsed some buildings. While all this was taking place the mercury continued its impressive show across western Canada. Nearly 30 record highs were set yesterday across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta including 7.8C at Edmonton International, 10.3C downtown Edmonton, 8.8C at Assiniboia, SK, the third record this month, and 13.2C at Maple Creek, SK. A cooling trend is on the way but still above normal.

In Montreal, a weak clipper system has given us some mixed rain and snow overnight and rather mild temperatures. I am showing 1C here on Ile Perrot at 7am and that will be our high today. Temperatures will slowly drop under clearing skies today with increasing northwest winds. It will be chilly tonight, especially in areas with snow cover with lows in the city down to -16C. Wednesday will be sunny with increasing clouds and northeast winds by late in the day. That will set the stage for a complex low pressure area with onc center over the Gulf Sates and the other approaching us from the Great Lakes. The two will send enough moisture into the St. Lawrence Valley to produce a period of steady snow on Thursday and Friday. The timing and quantity is still up in the air at this point, but it will be enough to shovel, and could exceed 10cm, which would make it the biggest snowfall this season. I will update the potential snow event late today.

Winter returns?

More ice than snow this winter in Montreal. Saturday crews salted and sanded all day. ValleyWX pic

Winter will slowly start to make a return across most of the country over the next two weeks. Those of you who have been experiencing record highs, such as Alberta, will begin to cool down as early as this week. Here in Montreal, it hasn't exactly been shorts and sandals weather, but it has been an easy winter so far. It looks like colder air and the likelihood a few more storms will greet us starting next week. In the near term a few weak weather systems will bring southern Quebec light snow and seasonable temperatures through Wednesday. The nights will be chilly with the days rather mild near the freezing point. On Thursday, a stronger low pressure will approach Quebec from the southern US and bring with it another surge of moisture and mild air. We may be looking at mixed precipitation for both Thursday and Friday. By the weekend temperatures will cool down noticeably and skies will clear out.

Just how warm has this winter been? Here in Montreal our December was one of the warmest on record with and average temperature of -2.6C. The normal is -6.3C. We have had only about 35cm of snow this winter, most of it falling in small amounts, the biggest storm being 8cm back on November 23. Yesterday to add to the hundreds of record highs established in the past week across the country, six more were broken in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. The warmest, Whitecourt, Alberta, reached 10.8C breaking a record (9.4C) that had held since 1943.

Pattern changes on the way

While it was mild in Ontario and New York yesterday, between 1 and 3mm of freezing rain occurred here in Quebec including my home in L'ile Perrot.

That was one stubborn cold air mass that would not yield to the warm front this weekend here in southern Quebec. While areas in Ontario and across the border in New York and Vermont reached well into the single digits above freezing, Montreal remained well below for most of Saturday only touching 0C just after midnight last night here on L'ile Perrot. Most of the day the city endured light freezing rain mixed with snow which iced sidewalks and roads and prompted warnings from Environment Canada. The warm front stalled just south of the St. Lawrence Valley having a difficult time scouring out the cold air at the surface. The warm front finally passed across the Island of Montreal late last night but the warm air was short lived as the cold front quickly raced across the valley. Meanwhile in southern Ontario temperatures warmed to between plus 6 and 8C.

We have a major pattern change in our future that will usher in colder air and the possibility of some decent snowfalls during the last two weeks of January. Up to this point, the winter has been rather tame with low snowfall totals (less than 35cm in Montreal) and frequent intrusions of warm air from the southern US. The true arctic air has been pinched off across northern Canada. Some of that cold air will finally filter into the eastern third of North America and combine with a more active storm track from the southwest US and along the eastern seaboard. We may see some active weather as early as this Thursday but until then temperatures will be rather mild with just a chance of some light snow or flurries late Monday. I will have more on the potential storm this week in tomorrow mornings entry.

Record prairie warmth

As we sit at a cold -13C this evening on Ile Perrot some of the warmest weather ever for January is occurring across the northern plains from Minnesota into the Dakotas and north in the Prairie provinces. Here is a list of the record warmth today in Saskatchewan. I use to live in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, and the nearest official reporting station to my old home is Assiniboia which has now had consecutive record highs.

Assiniboia arpt         8.8      6.0      1990   
Broadview               7.7      4.5      1984 
Elbow cs                6.3      5.7      2001
Estevan arpt           10.1      5.6      1984
Leader arpt             9.3      7.5      1990
Rosetown east           6.3      4.4      1963
Saskatoon arpt          5.9      5.0      1906
Watrous east            7.1      5.0      1963
Weyburn                 9.7      5.5      1984
Wynyard                 6.5      4.4      2008
Yorkton arpt            5.0      4.5      1984

Alberta warmth

Calgary Herald photo of grass fires in southern Alberta yesterday.

While Montreal slowly warmed to -5C overnight it was another record warm 24 hours across western Canada. Over a dozen temperature records were broken across the three Prairie provinces yesterday including 16.4C at Maple Creek, SK smashing the old record of 11C set in 1984. Assiniboia SK was 8.3C (7.4 in 2008), Calgary 15.3C (12.2 in 1914) and Edmonton 11.7C (8.9 in 1947). Strong winds blasted the region all day gusting to 109km at Pincher Creek. The winds knocked out power, toppled trucks on area highways and fanned two big grass fires. One near Nanton, Alberta, 90km south of Calgary, required dozens of firefighters to control and destroyed several buildings. More warm weather is forecast today with only a slight cool down into the weekend.

The warm air is part of a rapid west to east zonal flow that has kept the threat of major storms down across most of North America. As a result of this weather pattern, Montreal has periodic light precipitation and frequent temperature fluctuations. Such was the case over the last 24 hours as the mercury rose from lows on Wednesday morning of -20C here in the city up to -4C overnight and finally leveling off at -7C this morning. Light snow, no more than 1 or 2cm fell overnight, just enough to make roads slick. A second cold front will generate a few snow flurries today followed by some clearing and steady temperatures around -5C. Another clipper system will affect the province on Friday with up to 5cm of snow and warming temperatures to near freezing. It will warm more on Saturday with temperatures above 0C and light snow or even rain.

The only region that reported any major stormy weather this week was Newfoundland where a coastal low dumped up to 40cm of snow on the province with winds gusting over 100km per hour and a peak Wreckhouse wind of 135km per hour on Wednesday.

Light snow - milder

It is another very cold start to the day across southern Quebec and eastern Ontario with temperatures down near -20C and a light breeze making it feel even colder. Actual temperatures overnight bottomed out at -20C here on Ile Perrot, -24C in Ottawa and -25C in St Jovite. The day will start sunny as arctic high pressure crests over the region. Clouds will be on the increase after noon as an advancing very weak cold front will cross the region tonight with a chance of some light snow. This will not be a storm with very limited moisture expect 2cm in the city with perhaps 5cm in the hills north of Montreal (1 - 2 inches). It will warm up today to -7C and continue to warm overnight to around -4C. Thursday and early Friday we will be between systems with a mix of clouds and sun before the next low pressure area, a clipper from out west passes near Montreal on Saturday. This system will have a little more moisture with it so look for a general 5cm (2 inches) snowfall across southern Quebec and temperatures warming to near 0C. No big storms are on the horizon through at least mid month.

It has been warm in western Canada. A few of record highs were broken on Monday across Saskatchewan including 6C at Assiniboia. Yesterday Alberta got into the act with record highs set in Medicine Hat at 11C. Calgary was warm as well with a high near 10C and overnight lows above freezing. Today the city is forecasting 13C with not a drop of snow around. More warm weather is expected into the weekend and early next week.

Cold but dry day

Arctic air and snow created icy roads and numerous accidents across the Great Lakes and Appalachians on Monday.

A surge of arctic air is reaching across southern Canada this morning and all the way down to the Gulf States. Along the leading edge of the system snow squalls broke out across the region yesterday with heavy snow reported in many locals in Quebec and Ontario as well as Vermont/NY. Thankfully the snow spared Montreal and the usual traffic nightmare that results. In any event we are cold this morning, with -14C here on Ile Perrot and a brisk northwest wind making it feel like -19C. As the cold air deepens, the mercury will not budge today under mostly sunny skies. Lows tonight will be a very cold -20C. Then we are in for a period of unsettled, but fairly mundane weather. Several weak frontal systems will bounce the temperature from above to below normal into the weekend along with a chance for very light amounts of snow. At the most we may see an inch or two combined from the frontal boundaries, with very little storm activity on the weather map.

The cold air sweeping across the Great Lakes produced intense snow squalls yesterday in southwestern Ontario. The heaviest bands off Georgian Bay affected London, Ontario with 30cm of snow as of early this morning. More snow, perhaps another 15cm could fall today. The heavy snow is also affecting western New York, northern Pennsylvania and Ohio as well as portions of Michigan and Indiana. Light snow and freezing rain iced highways across the Appalachians, and frost and freeze warnings are in effect for most of northern and central Florida this morning. As of 7am it was -1C (30F) in Jacksonville, 4C (41F) in Melbourne, 2C (36F) at Daytona Beach and the warm spot Miami at 12C (54F).

Lake effect snow machine

After a very mild start to 2012 across the eastern third of North America, the coldest air of the winter so far is on our doorstep. Happy New Year everyone, we started the year with a very mild high of plus 6C (43F) in Montreal with some light rain yesterday. The winds have picked up in the region this morning after the passage a cold front overnight and are gusting out of the southwest to 50km/h. It remains above freezing this morning with a current reading here on Ile Perrot of 2C (36F).

Strong low pressure moving across central Quebec is trailing a second front across eastern Ontario sweeping into the northern US. This front has very cold air and strong northwest winds associated with it. We are currently at our high for the day, with temperatures dropping all day long. The arctic front should approach the city around midday with a brief burst of heavy snow and very windy weather. Roads will likely ice up quickly so be prepared. The temperature will tumble throughout the day and night and settle in around -15C on Tuesday. Strong northwest winds up to 60km/h will drop windchill values into the -20's.

AccuWeather.com

Those same winds will be blowing across the Great Lakes creating the perfect conditions for lake effect snow. It is already snowing around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay this morning as well as western New York near Buffalo and Watertown. The heavy lake effect snow will intensify today with widespread blowing snow and near blizzard conditions along portions of Interstate 81 from the Canadian border to Syracuse as well as Interstate 90 southwest of Buffalo. Warnings are in place and travel is not advised in those regions. Total snow amounts in the warned areas could be in the 10 to 20 inch (25-50cm) range. Elsewhere outside of the snow belts a general 1 to 2 inches (3-5cm) is expected. Across the Tug Hill south of Watertown over 2 feet is quite possible. Thunder and lightning will accompany the most intense squalls.

Yesterday, strong winds along the Lake Erie and Ontario shoreline produced flooding as well as power failures. Peak wind gusts across western New York and southwest Ontario were over 100km/h (60mph).

Happy New Year

It is a warm 8C (46F) in Times Square for the arrival of 2012.

We are in the final hour of 2011 - the year of extreme weather. From the countless tornadoes that swept the US south, killing more than ever before, to hurricane Irene that swept across my Outer Banks and pounded New England and Vermont with the worst flooding on record, it was an expensive 2011. Here in Quebec we ended last year with freezing rain and we ended this year the same way. In between we had a the worst flooding in a generation in the Richelieu Valley followed by another very warm and humid summer, mild fall and a slow to start winter.

It has been another great year for me with a fantastic vacation on the Outer Banks in May that featured the best weather I have ever had there. We also added a little dog to our daily routine, Bella is part of our family. My daughter has been accepted with honors to University. Life is good. As always it is a pleasure to write and talk about the weather. I have been doing so since I could talk. I started writing and recording the weather in 1980 and blogging about it in 2005. I would like to thank all my family, friends and readers who frequent these pages daily, weekly or whenever you can, thank you. I hit 318 blog entries this year, we will shoot for 319  in 2012!

Be safe and have a very Happy New Year! See you all in 2012.

Freezing Rain Warning

From Global TV Toronto, more accidents along the 401 tonight.

Environment Canada has posted a freezing rain warning for the Vaudreuil/Soulanges region of southern Quebec from just southwest of metro Montreal to the Ontario border. Precipitation is moving into the area at this hour with a mix of snow and freezing rain expected overnight. The system has already iced roads in Ontario with numerous accident reported. The OPP were even forced to close the 401 east of Oshawa. Low pressure will pass just south of Montreal Saturday with a light mixture of freezing rain and snow expected until about the noon hour. Temperatures have been very cold today but are now warming and should reach 0C by late Saturday. Travel with great care tonight as warnings are in effect for the entire Highway 401/20 corridor as well as south into northern New York and Vermont. Air travel is also being delayed or cancelled across southern Ontario due to the ice and fog.

More snow and ice

Freezing rain in Toronto this morning (CTV.ca)

Sorry for the rant, but here it goes. I am not a big fan of winters like this one, as the constant fluctuations in temperature and precipitation type create terrible road conditions and more accidents. We witnessed that this past week when a few hours of above freezing weather cost us dearly as the rapidly falling temperatures froze road surfaces resulting in numerous accidents, some fatal across our entire region. It has been a deadly holiday period on Quebec roads with 11 deaths so far and indeed across many other parts of the country as well. In many cases the culprit has been the same type of weather. I would hope that if it is going to be winter than let it stay below freeing with snow. If it going to be spring than do so and warm above freezing and stay there. This constant roller coaster ride does nothing for anybody. Sadly it looks like this scenario will continue so it is up to us to adjust to it and begin driving much better than we are currently doing. Driving a car for most of us is the most dangerous thing we do everyday. Take a few steps on roads for the rest of the Holidays and into the New Year to protect yourself and other motorists as well. Slow down for one, especially adjusting your speed to the weather. Listen to the forecast, know when the weather is changing and be ready to change your driving habits. The obvious, winter tires and if you drink, do us all a favor and stay off the roads. The big factor is speed, slowing down lets you have more control over your car on ice and snow and allows the winter tires to do their job.

All that being said, we are in for another round of winter weather. It is another frigid morning in Montreal, dropping to -20C here on Ile Perrot overnight, we are now at -16C. A weak frontal boundary to our southwest has been the focus of light snow and freezing rain across Ontario overnight. Hundreds of accidents were reported in the Toronto region as a result. The snow is as far east as Cornwall and should arrive in the Montreal area by late morning. A couple of centimetres is possible into the evening before warmer air aloft allows the snow to mix with freezing drizzle. It could be a very icy night on the roads. Across northern New York and Vermont the threat for freezing rain has prompted a Winter Weather Advisory through noon Saturday. Freezing rain warnings may be required for a portion of our area later today.

The precipitation will taper off by Saturday afternoon with temperatures warming to above freezing. Sunday at this time looks mild with a shower or two and highs well above normal to start 2012 at plus 4C. Monday looks like a repeat of this past Wednesday with plummeting temperatures, gusty winds and snow as two arctic fronts cross the region. And the ride continues!

Arctic Chill

After yesterday's wind, snow and ice, temperatures are frigid this morning. I have -19C here on Ile Perrot with a windchill of -27C at 7am, Trudeau Airport is -18C with a windchill of -30C, Ottawa is -20C with a windchill of -29C. I walked the dog briefly (her request to end it early) and trust me it is cold out. Montreal ended up officially with about 5cm of snow at the airport and around 15mm of rain from the last storm. There were reports of as much as 10cm of snow off island and upwards of 25mm of rain. All in all it was a nasty little storm. Look for a windy and cold but sunny day today as high pressure crests over the region. Winds will remain gusty out of the northwest up to 50km/h, so windchill values will remain dangerously cold. A series of weak clipper type systems will affect southern Quebec and Ontario into New Years Day with periods of snow or light rain starting Friday and lasting into New Years Day. Amounts will be light but mixed precipitation will likely ice roads again. The biggest challenge once again will be determining the precipitation type as temperatures take the roller coaster ride back above freezing. It looks like more arctic air, possibly colder than this bunch will plunge back into the region to start the New Year by late Monday. Another period of snow and wind will accompany the cold.

Please drive safely and adjust your speed to mid-winter driving. There were numerous accidents in the region yesterday including another fatal one here in Montreal. It has been a deadly holiday season on Quebec roads. Wherever you are, slow down and allow your winter tires to do there job.

Arctic air rapidly moves in

Interstate 89 south of Burlington today. (Burlington Free Press)

What a difference a few hours can make in the weather department. When I posted to the blog this morning, it was plus 2C (36F) in Montreal. At 3pm the city is at -9C (16F) with windchill values of -20C. Strong winds and falling snow have reduced visibility on area highways below 1km at times slowing traffic, especially towards the Ontario border and along the 401. The deepening cold behind last nights rainstorm is producing areas of steady snow. The snow has created difficult travel and has even forced the closure of Interstate 89 at Exit 10 in Waterbury, Vermont. The National Weather Service has posted a winter weather advisory for Vermont and New York, as well as a windchill advisory. Conditions will only improve after midnight when winds and snow begin to diminish. Low temperatures will be between -15C and -20C tonight. Total snow accumulations in Quebec will be 5-10cm (2-4") with 5-15cm (2-6") in Vermont and New York.

Much colder today

There is no better example of a dramatic forecast miss than predicting heavy snow and ending up with rain. That was always a possibility with this storm as so much warm air at all levels was moving north with it. The dynamics were just not there for a snowstorm and the storm itself moved across New York state instead of Vermont bringing with it rain. We were counting on colder air arriving at the same time as the precipitation, it just did not happen. As a result it was mostly a rain event across Ontario and Quebec. I measured too much rain, close to 50mm but I believe this was melting snow as well at the onset tipping the scale.  The airport measured only 14.4mm which is more in line with what this system had to offer.

We are waiting for the arrival of a potent arctic front this morning that will have temperatures plummeting all day on strong northwest winds (30-60km/h). This has already happened in Ottawa where it was -5C at 6am while we are sitting at 1C. Winds have started to increase here on Ile Perrot out of the west (20-30km/h) so expect the cold air shortly. Temperatures are currently as good as they will be today and will steadily drop to overnight lows of -17C with cold wind chills in the minus 20's. Needless to say all this water will freeze so watch out for icy roads and sidewalks. Some light snow will accompany the front, perhaps as much as 5cm locally. This will be enough with the winds and falling temperatures to make roads dangerous again today.

Heavy Snow Warning

A slippery Christmas Eve and day on Ile Perrot. More snow coming tonight and Wednesday. Christmas Day was a mess on the roads, lets slow down with this storm. (ValleyWX Pic)

Environment Canada has posted a Heavy Snow Warning for Montreal and most of southern Quebec as well as extreme eastern Ontario including Brockville to the Quebec Border and the Ottawa region. Low pressure over Kentucky this morning will rapidly deepen as it moves to near Burlington, Vermont overnight and close to Quebec City on Wednesday. A sharp temperature difference will accompany this storm with mostly rain across New England and New York as well as southern Ontario. However from the St. Lawrence Valley north, heavy wet snow is expected along with strong northeast and then northwest winds. The wet snow could accumulate 15-20cm (6-8 inches) in a band running from just north of Ottawa across the Laurentians. Here in Montreal as well as Ottawa a general 10-15cm (4-6 inches) snowfall is forecast mixed at times with rain or freezing rain. Temperatures will be near freezing for the duration of the storm followed by a rapid drop in temperatures on Wednesday. An arctic front will sweep the area with dropping temperatures from 0C to -9C in a matter of hours Wednesday with any rain changing to all snow including in New York and Vermont. A rapid freeze up is expected Wednesday region wide including Toronto and areas south of Montreal that had received mostly rain. Roads will become very icy Wednesday with dropping temperatures and strong northwest winds up to 60km/h. Skies will clear Thursday before more snow Friday.

The bottom line is if you have to travel do it today.

First storm Tuesday?

Sanding the icy roads on Ile Perrot on Christmas Eve. (ValleyWX)

Time for Boxing Day shopping and the weather is perfect, a vast improvement in road conditions over yesterday. Low pressure skirted along the international border on Christmas Day giving a decent snowfall and white Christmas to the St. Lawrence Valley with cool temperatures. Montreal managed about 4 to 7cm of snow, perfect for a Christmas card, not so good on the roads. Numerous cars hit the ditch along the Trans Canada Highway (40/417) to Ottawa and also north into the Laurentians along Highway 15. The roads are in good shape today and should remain that way into Tuesday. Temperatures yesterday ranged from above freezing in the Richelieu and Champlain Valleys due to a south wind to a very cold -7C here on Ile Perrot with a cold and damp northeast wind.

That is the good news, now the bad, the weather will turn nasty again late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning when travel could become quite dangerous. Low pressure will develop in the southern US and move across southeast New York state and into New England. It has been a difficult track with plenty of warm air pushing north again, therefor computer forecast models have been flip flopping between snow and rain for the last several days. It appears mixed precipitation will spread across the region late on Tuesday and change to all snow overnight into Wednesday from northwest to southeast. At this time at least 5cm of snow is expected for Montreal and Ottawa along with some rain and freezing rain. The potential exists for more, and warnings may be needed for a portion of our forecast region. The big threat with this storm will be the rapid drop in temperatures on Tuesday night across southern Ontario and Quebec, along with a flash freeze. The rapidly dropping temperatures, gusty winds and precipitation will make for very icy roads for late Tuesday in Ontario and Wednesday morning in Quebec.

I will update the information on this potential storm later today via the blog and twitter. Happy Holidays, be safe.

Christmas Weather

My colleague from my days back at the Kemptville Advance, friend and brilliant artist Vicki Fawcett, drew this for me back in 2007. I love using it each year. Check out her other art HERE.

Brrrr, really, who left the fridge door open last night? It goes to show you what a little snow cover and a northerly wind can do for the temperature. Montreal is currently recording the coldest morning of the season at -16C, my low temperature for the night. Ottawa is -17C, Sherbrooke -20C and Maniwaki -23C. The mercury has not budged this morning. It will be hard pressed to do so with that northerly wind and high pressure cresting over the area on this Christmas Eve. Look for partly cloudy skies and cold temperatures, perhaps reaching -11C, but that would be it if at all. Tonight will start off clear and cold, but weak low pressure will approach from the Great Lakes with increasing clouds and warming temperatures towards daybreak Christmas morning.

Sunday will feature cloudy skies with a little light snow from the afternoon into the evening. We could see 2 to 4cm of snow, but it would not surprise me if a little more fell. It will be just enough to make roads slippery but temperatures will warm to -3C. Boxing Day looks fair for shopping and turkey leftovers before a stronger storm takes aim at the region for Tuesday. That system has the potential to produce more mixed precipitation so stay tuned because it could impact travel.

White Christmas

Snow in Pointe Claire this morning. (ValleyWX)

With just a little over 36 hours to go until Christmas 2011, it has snowed in Montreal. While it was not really a surprise, perhaps the coverage and amount was. Low pressure is moving well south of Montreal off the Jersey coast this morning. Precipitation worked its way north into the St. Lawrence Valley late last evening in the form of light rain that changed to wet snow around midnight as the temperature dropped to 0C, where it is currently. Around 3cm, or just over one inch of snow has fallen at my home here on Ile Perrot with another 1 to 2cm likely before it tapers off by mid-morning. The snow will be followed by dropping temperatures, with the coldest night of the season expected tonight at -17C in Montreal, colder outside the city. The Christmas weekend looks wintry with very cold temperatures on Saturday (-10C) under fair skies and perhaps a quick shot of  snow late on Christmas Day with milder temperatures closer to -2C.

Lots of people are travelling today - expect snow covered or slushy roads in most of southern Quebec and extreme eastern Ontario with areas north and west towards the Ottawa Valley reporting the coldest temperatures. South of Montreal along the US border and into New England it was mostly a rain event, but some snow is mixing in at this time and icy patches are likely. Icy patches will develop everywhere today as temperatures drop throughout the day so adjust your speed and allow plenty of braking distance. All in all it is not bad travel weather, more of a nuisance snow - be courteous and arrive safely.

Have a Happy Holiday! 

Very icy morning

Ice coats my Christmas decorations and trees on Ile Perrot last evening.

Lots of freezing rain fell on Ile Perrot last evening. In less than 2 hours I measured 11.9mm of precipitation between 8 and 10pm. Thankfully the temperature rose just slightly above freezing overnight and we are sitting at 1C, I just walked my dog and some melting is occurring. The freezing rain caused numerous accidents across the island of Montreal yesterday with nearly 2 dozen reported and another 50 or so in Ottawa. Northeast of Montreal near Drummondville, a collision between a car and school bus resulted in two fatalities. We would have been better off with snow but unfortunately this type of winter often results in numerous freezing rain events. The low pressure responsible for this mess  moved from the Midwest across New York State just south of the city and is now well east of Montreal and heading into Atlantic Canada. A few flurries or snow showers will occur today with temperatures remaining steady near 1C.


It will be chilly overnight with a northeast wind, temperatures down to -7C and some snow developing. Low pressure will skirt the US Atlantic coast tonight an head into the Maratimes on Friday. Snow is expected to spread from south to north across the entire region and affect mainly from Montreal south and east. The heaviest amounts will be in southern Vermont where up to 15cm (6 inches) is possible. Amounts will taper off rapidly with just 1 or 2cm (less than 1inch) expected in Montreal. Skies will remain cloudy on Friday with flurries and chilly. The Christmas weekend at this time looks partly cloudy and chilly with perhaps a few flurries, but no major storms expected at this time.

Mixed precipitation continues

Radar showing freezing rain over southwest Quebec and eastern Ontario.

Steady freezing rain continues in Montreal at 8pm with temperatures at -1C here on Ile Perrot and at Trudeau Airport. The freezing rain or drizzle has been falling since around 1pm here in the city. Numerous accidents have been reported across the southern half of the province including a fatal collision northeast of Montreal near Trois Rivieres. Traffic moved slowly across the city for the evening commute. Road conditions are once again deteriorating as an area of heavier freezing rain mixed with rain edges into the southwest portion of Quebec from Ontario. Area temperatures remain below freezing with the exception of Cornwall where it is now 1C with rain.

Freezing Rain Warning

As I expected Environment Canada has posted a freezing rain warning for a wide area of southern Quebec including metro Montreal, as well as eastern Ontario. Low pressure is forecast to move from Illinois to upstate New York today, passing just south of Montreal. This track places us just north of the warm front, and in a favorable position for an extended period of freezing rain. Radar this morning is showing light snow moving into the region from the southwest, that will be followed by the steadier precipitation by the middle part of the day. Expect 2 to 10 mm of frozen precipitation, more than enough to make travel dangerous. Mild air will work as far north as the US border, as a matter of fact Montreal is -5C currently while Burlington, Vermont is already at the freezing point. For that reason expect just regular rain from the border region south. If your travel plans take you anywhere but straight south today, expect delays and icy roads. The precipitation will end this evening as a period of flurries. Temperatures today will remain near 0C in Montreal and Ottawa. Looking ahead we may have a little light snow on Thursday and again Sunday, but no major snow is in the forecast at this time, but perhaps just enough to whiten the ground.

Freezing Rain

 Montreal? Not really, Santa Fe, New Mexico yesterday afternoon (AP photo)

ICE SAFETY: The ice in and around Montreal and southern Quebec is very unstable this year, please stay off it until further notice.  ICE SAFETY HERE

It is a very cold morning in Montreal after yesterday's warm high of 6C. Temperatures have been falling since late afternoon and are now at -8C with a gusty northwest wind and windchill values as cold as -15C. Today will be sunny across the area, but cold at -6C. Clear skies will give way to an increase in clouds overnight with a low of -11C. Then the nasty weather starts, I wish it was snow, but sadly as I said to start the week it looks like ice. Strong low pressure that has blasted the southern plains with a blizzard producing over 25cm of snow and foot high drifts in New Mexico and Kansas is poised to move close to Montreal late Wednesday. The warm from associated with that system will produce an area of freezing rain in the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valley's on Wednesday before changing to rain as the roller coaster ride continues. Temperatures should rise above freezing by late in the day and remain that way Thursday. High pressure will then move in behind the storm with another dip in temperatures Friday and Saturday before some snow on Christmas Day. How much snow for the 25th? It is way too early to tell at this point, but stay tuned.

For traveling around the region today, all directions are clear, dry and cold. The only travel concerns would be northeast of Montreal where snow fell yesterday. Some roads towards Quebec City and points north may still be icy or snow covered. Blowing snow remains a problem along highways in the Saguenay and Lac St. Jean region. Otherwise travel to the northern US and Ontario is perfect today. As far as Wednesday goes we will likely see freezing rain warnings posted for a portion of our region.

Cool down underway

A cold front has passed across the St. Lawrence Valley and is now south of Montreal. Most of the precipitation in the region is over after a couple of millimeters of rain and a trace of snow today. Winds have been gusty all day out of the southwest during most of the daylight hours and now the northwest gusting to 50km/h. The temperature started the day rather cold but rose dramatically at noon from -1C to 5C here in Montreal in a matter of minutes. My official high here on Ile Perrot was an unseasonably mild 6C at 1:47pm. It is slowly falling tonight with any wet surfaces expected to freeze up in the next few hours. We are currently 2C on Ile Perrot dropping to an overnight low of -11C.

Active weather week ahead

(Image from AccuWeather.com)

After a bright but rather chilly weekend here in Montreal, we are heading into an active weather week. There are no majors storms on the map but lots of nuisance weather systems, the type you can expect with this kind of a fall and winter. With lots of milder air frequently surging into the southern Quebec and Ontario and cold air poised to settle south right behind it, frequent freeze and thaw cycles occur which makes driving actually more dangerous than if it was a normal winter. We will see that several times this week, as a matter fact we are already observing snow this morning. Deepening low pressure is moving across central Ontario into central Quebec this morning with some snow and rain.

A warm front is moving across the region as I write this entry with light snow in Montreal and a gusty southeast wind. Montreal is only expecting 2cm and perhaps a rain shower, but snowfall warnings are in place northeast of Montreal where 10-15cm could fall in Quebec City and points north. At -4C with a windchill of -9C it is a rather raw morning in Montreal. The front will lift north of the city this morning giving us a few hours of above normal temperatures. It is already 4C in Toronto and 0C in Ottawa, so the milder air is on the way. It will be short lived with a potent cold front passing over the area this evening with strong northwest winds up to 50km/h and showers changing to flurries with plummeting temperature to -12C by morning. Look for a rapid freeze up on area roads so watch your travel tonight. The same scenario I just described is likely to play out two or three times up to Christmas Day. In the end we will be left with more ice than snow I believe. Stay tuned on this busy travel week as I will update the blog at least twice a day. Be safe.

Weekend Update

We are running out of time in securing a white Christmas here in southern Quebec and Ontario. Yesterday was remarkably warm for December, or even November, with temperatures soaring to 11C in Montreal and we already have recorded a high of 10C today, it came during the overnight hours. The temperature has been dropping since, and now sits at 4C. They will bottom out at a cold -10C overnight tonight. Showers accompanied the cold front this morning and a secondary shot of cold air by the middle part of the day could produce flurries. Heavy rain occurred over Montreal yesterday with 42.5mm at the airport. I measured close to 30mm here on Ile Perrot, but I was having trouble with my computer so that measurement is not reliable. I have since fixed the problem and we are back on track.

High pressure will dominate the weather for the weekend with sunny skies, cool days around -5C and cold nights around -10C throughout the area. The next chance for precipitation will come from a frontal system on Monday that could give us some light snow or once again showers as temperature warm to above normal. We are still watching the weather map for a potential significant snowfall during the middle to late portion of next week, but it is way too soon to pinpoint that forecast.

Rainy and windy

This will be a very brief post this morning. My computer decided to fail me and take my weather data with it, that is why you see -999C on my weather sticker. Rest assured hell has not frozen over. On the contrary it is a mild 5C with steady rain this morning as low pressure moves to our west. Before the technological collapse this morning I measured 14.1mm of rain to 7:21am. It will be a wet, dreary and breezy day today. I will update the forecast this evening after all my computer components are reconnected.

Rain and maybe snow

It is mild once again this morning in Montreal with a 7am reading of 1C. We have had scattered snow showers and drizzle over the last 24 hours thanks to a weak cold front in the area. It has been generally dull and uninspiring for mid-December. Today we will see a brief break in the precipitation as weak high pressure noses into southern Quebec. We may see a break or two, but it will be mostly cloudy and damp with temperatures no better than 1 or 2C. Our next weather system is a low pressure near Colorado that will sweep across the Great Lakes and move west of Montreal placing us in the warm sector once again. As the warm front approaches the region overnight, some cold air at the surface will allow for mixed precipitation at the onset. Keep this in mind if your travels take you north of Montreal or east, as freezing rain warnings are in effect for those areas. Elsewhere a brief period of snow will change over to rain overnight and continue on Thursday with temperatures very warm, up to 9C (48F).

A cold front will cross the area late Thursday with any leftover precipitation tapering off to flurries by Friday morning as temperatures lower back to the freezing point. Our next chance for any appreciable snow will come Sunday and again by next Tuesday. Scenario one looks like only a centimetre or two for Sunday, but the second system early next week needs to be watched closely as it moves across the Ohio Valley and close to our region.

Another mild week ahead

It felt just a little like winter over the weekend, at least on Saturday. Cooler temperatures and a spot of snow Friday night made for a wintry Saturday with snow on the ground, a chill in the air and snow showers scattered around southern Quebec. It was short lived as Sunday brought above normal temperatures again as our very mild late fall/early winter moves along. Don't look for any winter weather this week as the region will be dominated by a southwest flow. High pressure is in control to start the week with sunshine and warm temperatures up to 5C today in Montreal. That will be followed by a very weak and somewhat dry cold front on Tuesday with just a chance of a shower or snowflake. Wednesday will be fair before low pressure approaches the region and passe to our west leaving Montreal in warm air once again with rain on Thursday. There are signs that the coldest air of the season may arrive next weekend with a promise for snow to start Christmas week. Keep in mind however that many rimes this year that scenario has presented itself a week or 10 days out only to have the forecast modify and be much warmer with rain or a mix as the forecast evolves.

Environment Canada has posted the likelihood of a white Christmas for many major centers across Canada. You can check it out HERE. I remember as a child growing up in Montreal during the snowy 70's, that we were guaranteed a very white Christmas, always sledding and skating outdoors. It was a wonderful way to spend the two week break every year. To be honest I miss that weather. You can see on the Environment Canada link that Montreal's average snow cover today on Christmas Day is down an incredible 50% from the years when I was growing up. Argue global warming all you want, something is happening to our weather!

Weekend Update

Winds gusting as high as that of a category 2 hurricane caused widespread damage and power outages across Atlantic Canada yesterday.

This truck did not fare too well near Sydney, Nova Scotia. Image from CBC News

We are sitting at the freezing point again in Montreal this morning as our "ho hum" weather continues. It is now December 9 and all we have is a trace of snowfall to show for the month and 9cm for the season. Most days have been within a degree or two of 0C for highs and lows, and we have had lots of cloud cover. Temperatures will continue to be above normal this weekend as that cold air mass from out west has moderated as it crossed the Great Lakes. We are looking at a cloudy day with periods of flurries or showers. The weekend looks mild and partly cloudy with high temperatures of 1 or 2C and lows between -6C and -2C.

The precipitation today is being generated by a cold front moving across the Great Lakes. That front will produce gusty southwest winds off of the lakes that may produce a period of steady lake effect snow along Highway 401 from Kingston to Brockville and extending north into Leeds and Grenville County and perhaps even Kemptville. A couple of quick centimetres is possible with low visibility in any of the squalls. Last night a feeder band of lake snow stretched all the way from Georgian Bay to Ottawa. If they hold together today we may see a few heavier flurries in southern Quebec, but the likelihood is low.

That Atlantic Nor'Easter that raced up the east coast yesterday produced heavy rain and snow across the Maratimes. The storm also brought with it fierce winds that gusted as high as 159km/h at Englee, Newfoundland. There were numerous reports of damage and power outages with many communities reporting gusts in excess of 100km/h. The same was true across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick where strong winds cut power to thousands and made travel dangerous. The Confederation Bridge to PEI was closed after winds exceeded 100km/h and gusted as high as 136km/h. It has since reopened.

Few snowflakes for Montreal

Heavy snow falling in Monticello, Maine near the New Brunswick border this morning.

I am afraid the weather headlines are not very exciting lately in Montreal. We had just a few snowshoes last evening as a rapidly developing area of low pressure skirted the American east coast moving northeast. That storm pounded southern New England with 1-3 inches of rain and winds gusting to 60mph late yesterday and overnight. The storm is in the Gulf of Maine this morning spreading heavy rain across Atlantic Canada with heavy wet snow in a narrow band from northern New Hampshire along the US/Canadian border and into northern New Brunswick and the Gaspe. Overnight snowfall ranged from a dusting here in Montreal up to as much as 15cm (6 inches) along the Townships/New England Border and as much as 25cm (10 inches) in the upper elevations of southern Vermont.

High pressure will try to clear us out this morning, but I am noticing on radar some more snow flurries working there way towards Montreal from the Ottawa Valley. Those will be brief and then is should be a sunny but breezy day with winds up to 40km/h. Temperatures are chilly this morning, but still well above normal for December at -3C. Look for highs around 2C today. Another weak cold front will approach southern Quebec on Friday with a few more flurries.

If your travels take you anywhere near the snow belts of western New York or Ontario today, there will be lake effect snow developing in those regions affecting I-81 from Watertown south to north of Syracuse as well ads the area around Buffalo. The lake snow may shift north on Friday and affect the Thousand Islands region of Ontario/NY, Highway 401, eastern Ontario and the western Adirondacks.

Snow for Townships/Vermont

A quick moving low pressure system developing this morning along that slow moving cold front that cleared Montreal yesterday, is forecast to move into the Gulf of Maine by Thursday morning. An area of enhanced precipitation with this storm will affect southern New England today and spread into Vermont and southeast Quebec near the US border tonight. A Winter Weather Advisory is now posted for most of eastern and southern Vermont as well as New Hampshire for snow tonight and early Thursday, accumulating up to 10cm with 15cm locally. In Quebec the precipitation will remain well south and east of Montreal affecting Sherbrooke and the Townships with 5-10cm of snow overnight. Keep this in mind if your travels take you down Highway 10 or Interstates 89, 91 or 93 tonight and early tomorrow.

Montreal will remain on the northwest edge of the system with a chance for a few flurries and temperatures right around 0C. As a matter of fact it has been 0C at my home since about 10pm last night with the weather centre showing the high and low as 0C so far. Further south across the middle Atlantic a steady cold rain is expected with perhaps a brief period of wet snow later tonight. That quick moving Nor'Easter will continue to strengthen and provide a big snowstorm for New Brunswick across western Nova Scotia and the Gaspe. Over 20cm is forecast with winds gusting to 90km/h on Thursday.

Still waiting for snow

That was one slow moving cold front that passed across Montreal and southern Quebec overnight and this morning with the promise of snow. Around 28mm of rain fell at my home on L'Ile Perrot, but no snow. Temperatures were just too mild for the snow we had expected to fall behind the front, at least here in Montreal. Up to 5cm of wet snow covered the ground across the Ottawa Valley and portions of southwest Ontario. Snow also fell yesterday as far south as New Mexico. So it continues to be a very mild fall in Montreal as we await true winter and snow. In November, Montreal had 8.2cm of snow, the normal is 21.9cm. So far in December the city recorded a trace, today, the normal is 48.3cm. Radar is showing flurries tonight north of the city, and we have finally reached the freezing point here in Montreal, a full 24 hours later than I expected it would. We can expect some flurries tonight but at this time, no major storms are on the horizon. The air will chill over the next few days and into the weekend, but it will not be as cold as originally expected earlier in the week, and still above normal for December. Temperatures will dip to -10C on by Sunday morning, but warm once again to above freezing by Monday.

Colder weather on the way

Snow in Omaha, Nebraska over the weekend. (theindependant.com)

Our very mild fall continued across southern Quebec over the weekend with mostly dry weather and temperatures running 10 degrees above normal. At 7am this morning Montreal was 8C down from yesterday's warm 10C, (the record was 15C set in 1982) the normal high/low for this time of the year is -1 and -8C. We have light rain falling in Montreal as a cold front slowly moves from our northwest towards the St. Lawrence Valley. Impulses of moisture are sliding along that front from the southern US with heavier precipitation. Rain will increase in coverage and intensity today as the front moves into the St. Lawrence Valley. As colder air begins to filter into the region, temperatures will drop from where they sit currently and approach the freezing point by midnight. Look for rain to change to wet snow before ending by mid morning Tuesday. Up to 5cm of wet snow is possible in some locations especially north and west of Montreal towards Ottawa. Temperatures are at the high for today right now and will drop to -1C by Tuesday morning. They should stay there on Tuesday with clouds thinning by afternoon. Much colder air will then move into Quebec and eastern Ontario to end the week with temperatures dropping into the minus teens for lows, the coldest air of the season by Saturday. It will be short lived with more mild air expected next week. But for the short term expect a return to more wintry weather with the likelihood of more snow later this week.

Over the weekend low pressure lifted from Texas to northwest Ontario with a swath of heavy snow falling west of the track. Places like the Texas Panhandle and Nebraska had their first snowstorm of the season with as much as 15cm (6 inches). Behind the front arctic air plunged south. It was very cold once again across Manitoba and Saskatchewan on Sunday with snow and blowing snow. Temperatures this morning are a chilly -19C in Regina and -24C in Winnipeg.

Light Snow

The wild temperature swings across the country this fall are showing no signs of changing any time soon. We are mild for the time being this morning - around the freezing point in eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Radar is showing an area of light snow and rain along a cold front moving southeast towards the St. Lawrence Valley this morning with snow falling in Ottawa. I expect some snow to spread into Montreal today with 1-3cm possible, less in the city centre where it may mix with light rain. Temperatures will warm briefly above freezing to 1 or 2C before falling back behind the cold front by late afternoon. Skies should clear out tonight with a cold evening on tap for the region with lows on either side of -10C. It will be a mild weekend with partly cloudy skies on Saturday and increasing chances of precipitation on Sunday. Temperatures will be 2C on Saturday, warming to 6C on Sunday so no snow only rain. The next chance for snow or rain will come late Monday.

The Santa Ana winds in southern California and the US southwest kicked up again yesterday with record ferocity blowing across the desert and into the canyons and passes of the Golden State. Wind gusts were reported as high as 167 mph (over cat 5 hurricane) with widespread damage to homes and trees reported, and hundreds of thousands without power. Here are some rather notable wind gusts from the current event, which forecasters say was the strongest in a decade.

-- Henninger Flats, Calif. (2,800 ft., near Pasadena): 167 mph* -- Mammoth Mountain, Calif. (11,000 ft.): 150 mph* -- Steamboat Springs Ski Resort, Colo.: 123 mph -- Kane Springs, Nevada: 98 mph -- Neihart, MT: 77 mph -- Meeteetse, Wyom.: 75 mph -- Sandia Park, New Mexico: 72 mph (AccuWeather.com)