Storm sideswipes Montreal region - impacts Ontario

Unfortunately Thursdays storm across southern Ontario and Quebec resulted in several serious multi-vehicle collisions. The one above involved at least 20 vehicles, east of Mallorytown on eastbound Highway 401. The highway was closed for hours. There were several serious injuries reported as a result. (OPP Photo) 

It has been a difficult winter predicting snow amounts for the Montreal region. Thursday was no different as the storm underperformed across southern Quebec. The system developed very quickly from a combination of factors and then began weakening just as fast. In the end, dry air worked into the the eastern side of the storm and moved over southwestern Quebec basically shutting off the snowfall early. Montreal received 8cm, with Saint Anicet measuring 13cm.

Despite the lower quantities, the combination of gusty winds and dropping temperatures made for very difficult driving conditions on and off the Island of Montreal. There were several major accidents, including closures along Highway 132 on the South Shore, and Highway 40 near Pointe Fortune, after a semi ran into the back of a snowplow.

Despite the lower amounts of snow observed across southern Quebec with the current storm, roads were still treacherous, with several major accidents reported. Roads remain slick Friday morning, with cold temperatures, black ice and packed snow on some neighbourhood streets. Gusty west winds are resulting in blowing snow on off-island highways. (Valley Weather)

In Ontario, the storm was fierce, with very heavy snow, strong winds and frigid temperatures. Near-blizzard conditions around Toronto resulted in the closure of several Highways, including the Don Valley Parkway. The heavy snow spread east and north impacting the Ottawa Valley and 401 corridor towards Cornwall. East of Kingston there was a major multi-vehicle collision, with serious injuries, involving at least 20 vehicles. The highway was closed for hours near Mallorytown. The storm also closed most schools across the GTA and delayed operations at Pearson International. School busses were cancelled across all of eastern Ontario.

Snowfall amounts were very impressive in southern Ontario, with 50cm in Scarborough North, 25 to 30cm in Toronto and 18cm at Ottawa Airport. Other parts of the National Capital Region had close to 30cm. Along the Seaway, 15 to 20cm fell from Cornwall to Kingston.

After the storm, arctic air has settled into the Montreal region, along with snow flurries. The temperature Friday morning was -16C (4F), combined with winds up to 40km/h to produce windchills as cold as -27C (-17F). Friday will be blustery and cold all day, with highs struggling to reach -10C (14F). Temperatures will warm Friday night into Saturday, as another clipper system skirts to our south. Highs will rise all the way to -1C (30F). We may see a few flurries or perhaps some light snow into Saturday. The warming will be brief, as arctic air returns to start the new week.

Storm sweeps across southern Ontario and Quebec

Accidents on Highway 20 near Morgan Road have snarled traffic across Ile Perrot, making for a long commute onto the Island of Montreal Thursday morning.

Snowfall Warning for all of southern Quebec and Ontario for 15-30cm of snow 

As forecast, strong low pressure has developed over western New York and is slowly drifting northeast towards Vermont. A swath of heavy snow has developed north and west of the low, primarily impacting southern Ontario Thursday morning. Lighter snow is falling here in southwestern Quebec.

In Montreal, the rain changed over to light snow later than expected, around 5am Thursday morning. Also a dry slot is developing south of the city, which may end snow for a spell later this morning. As a result, only 2cm has fallen so far, with another 10cm or so on the way. A snowfall warning remains in effect. Regardless of the amount of snow, icy road conditions due to rapidly falling temperatures, and gusty winds are producing very dangerous driving conditions. 

In Montreal, temperatures have fallen from 2C (36F) to -5C (23F) since midnight. There have been numerous accidents in the Montreal region as a result of icy roads, including one along Highway 132 westbound near Highway 20 on the South Shore, involving 10 vehicles. Several cars have also spun out on Highway 20 on the West Island, guaranteeing a slow commute off Ile Perrot and points west. Also, surprise, the REM commuter train is down on the Two Mountains line due to the weather.

In southern Ontario, very heavy snow and strong winds are producing very dangerous driving conditions around the GTA and all along Highway 401. Temperatures have plummeted to -14C (7F) in Toronto, with visibility under 1km in heavy snow and blowing snow., Winds have gusted over 50km/h. The weather warning has been upgraded to orange for Toronto, with close to 30cm forecast.  Most flights are delayed or cancelled at Pearson Airport on Thursday morning.

Light snow will continue into Friday morning in Montreal, with another centimetre or two possible. Winds will be gusty from the northwest 20-40km/h, with lows around -15C (5F). Windchill values will drop into the minus 20s.

Strong arctic front - dropping temperatures and snow for the Montreal region

Snowfall predictions have been difficult all season for the Montreal area, with highly variable temperatures across the region and challenging storm tracks. Monday was no different, as an over performing clipper system brought 7cm to the region. The forecast was for 1-2cm. Another challenging forecast lies ahead for southern Quebec over the next 24 hours. (Valley Weather Photo)

Yellow Snowfall Warning in effect for Southern Quebec.

It is a spring-like 5C (41F) in Montreal on Wednesday morning, along with light rain and massive potholes. A mix of rain and snow fell overnight, with only minor accumulations. We can expect a drastic change in our weather over the next 24 hours, as a strong cold front sinks southeast across Ontario and Quebec. Very cold air will surge in behind that front along with rain changing to snow.

Low pressure is forecast to develop along the sagging cold front late today in western New York. That storm will move northeast into northern Vermont on Thursday and Atlantic Canada by Friday. North and west of the track snow will develop. Models are all over the place with accumulations as this is a rather complex set up. The low end predictions are for 5cm or less, while some higher end estimates are for up to 30cm. All depends on the timing of the cold air arrival and development and track of the storm system.

Most forecasters are going right up the middle with snowfall estimates, so we can expect rain to change to snow after midnight in Montreal. The snow may become heavy at times through Thursday, as the low pressure strengthens and passes to our south. For Montreal and most of southern Quebec, a general 10-15cm is expected. More may fall just north of the city and across upstate New York, with less in the Ottawa Valley and Vermont.

Temperatures will be warm on Wednesday, around 5C (41F), dropping quickly behind the cold front overnight to -5C (23F) by morning. Temperatures will continue to fall Thursday into Friday morning, with morning lows near -12C (10F). Friday will remain blustery and cold, with flurries and steady temperatures.

Winds will be gusty from the southwest Wednesday between 20-40km/h, backing to the west and northwest after midnight, up to 30km/h.

Expect very challenging driving conditions across eastern Ontario and southern Quebec for the morning commute on Thursday, with falling snow, dropping temperatures and snow-packed icy roads.

Colder weather on the horizon for southern Quebec

A quick hitting storm Saturday night left about 10cm of slushy, wet snow across the region. Main roads were in decent shape by Sunday morning, but many neighbourhood streets were snow covered and icy as temperatures fell later in the day. Gusty west winds helped dry roads overnight in time for the Monday morning commute. (Valley Weather)

I mentioned in my last post my concern that Saturday nights storm might be a bust. It was for most of us as both milder and dry air worked into the system. with less of an influence from the coastal storm. Montreal still managed about 10cm of wet snow, with some locations off island receiving as much as 15cm. The precipitation ended quickly and was followed my a mild and partly sunny Sunday, so some melting took place. In the end, it was not much of a storm, with minimal impacts.

The trend of weak systems will persist this week, with the first arriving in a few hours. We can expect periods of light snow Monday, with perhaps a centimetre or two. Warmer southwest winds will develop, with a high near -2C (29F). Temperatures will warm further on Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs above freezing in the 2C to 5C (35F to 40F) range. As a result any scattered precipitation that does occur, will likely be in the form of rain. The parade of weak weather systems continues, with another passing well north of Montreal late Tuesday.

The advertised much colder air arrives by Thursday as a strong cold front will open the door to arctic air pooling to our north. The front will be accompanied by a burst of snow and strong winds either late Wednesday or early Thursday. Highs on Thursday will be chilly, around -10C (14F), along with gusty winds. The cold will persist into next weekend.

At this time, no major storms are on the horizon for Montreal. A coastal system on Thursday or Friday should remain well south and east of southern Quebec. That may change but for now the weather should remain dry and cold for Montreal into next weekend.

Snowfall warning posted for Montreal and southern Quebec

A quick moving storm system will give Montreal 10-15cm of wet snow late Saturday evening into early Sunday morning. Some rain may mix in along and south of the St. Lawrence Valley. Expect low visibility in heavy snow Saturday evening, along with snow covered and slippery roads.

Snowfall Warning posted for metro Montreal

A snowfall warning has been issued by Environment Canada for most of southwestern Quebec including metro Montreal. This is a rather complex system, and the bust potential is higher than I like. Two areas of low pressure are moving towards the region. There remains plenty of mild air in place, and that will likely lead to several precipitation types occurring over the Montreal region.

The good news is this is a fast moving system and the bulk of the precipitation should occur overnight, ending early Sunday.

Low pressure over Minnesota will move across the Great Lakes and close to Montreal on Sunday. Meanwhile a second area of low pressure will develop and move along the Atlantic coast towards New England.

The snow should start early this evening and could be heavy at times. Expect a wet snow for most regions. The snow will likely mix with rain and even some pockets of freezing rain along and south of the St. Lawrence River. At this time, accumulations should settle into the 10-15cm range for Montreal, 5-10cm south of the city and close to 20cm across the Laurentians and North Shore.

Temperatures are rather mild Saturday around 1C (34F), but should drop below freezing early this evening as the snow starts. Warmer air will work in from the south overnight, with temperatures rising back above freezing to 2C (36F) by morning. On Sunday expect flurries as the storms pull to our east and a cold front slides across the region. Winds will also become gusty, in the 30-60km/h range along with falling temperatures back below freeing to -2C (29F) by late afternoon.

The week ahead looks quite unsettled once again, with a mixed precipitation and eventually much colder temperatures by the end of the week.

On Friday, Montreal managed a high of 9C (49F) late in the evening, shy of the record of 11.3C (53F) set back in 2008. It was a wet and windy day, with gusts to 75km/h at Trudeau Airport, along with 15.5mm of rain. I measured 16.5mm here on Ile Perrot.

Warm & wet Friday followed by a snowy weekend for Montreal

With close to 15cm of snow falling since the New Year started, the City of Montreal launched it's third snow loading campaign of the season earlier this week. Over 3000 workers and 2500 pieces of equipment are clearing the snowbanks from 11,000 kilometres of city streets. You can get more information at the 311 Montreal app.

As promised it has been an active weather week across southern Quebec. Since Sunday, close to 10cm of new snow has fallen in and around the city. The snow has mostly been of the nuisance variety, requiring more salt than plowing. Roads have been sloppy and with the warming temperatures, potholes are everywhere, some big enough to swallow your tires.

Thursday managed a warm high of 3C (38F) for Montreal despite the cloud cover and misty conditions. Friday will be warm as well, along with increasing southwest winds, that may reach 70km/h by the supper hour. Low pressure travelling well north of Montreal, will allow for highs to reach 7C to as warm as 10C (45 to 50F) across southern Quebec by late Friday. With temperatures well above freezing, we can expect rain to develop around midday along a frontal boundary. The rain will taper to showers in the evening. Gusty southwest and eventually west winds will reach between 30-50km/h increasing up to 70km/h late Friday.

Enough colder air returns for temperatures to drop to the freezing point overnight into Saturday morning. This will set the stage for the next system that will have a more wintry edge to it. Low pressure will move across the Great Lakes and begin to weaken Saturday night, as a secondary low develops over southern New England. That low will reestablish enough cold air here in the St. Lawrence Valley allowing all precipitation to fall mainly as snow, with perhaps some rain or freezing rain mixing in near the international border. 

The snow should start Saturday evening tapering off late Sunday. At this time, some models are showing a good 10cm for the Montreal region, but that could easily reach 15cm for some locations.

Conditions should improve for Monday along with slightly colder temperatures and highs near -2C (29F0. More unsettled weather and snow returns by Tuesday. 

Active weather week ahead for southern Quebec

The storms have not been large this winter, but frequent smaller snowfalls and frigid cold temperatures have managed to keep roads slippery and unpredictable, with many accidents occurring. This week will be challenging on the roads, with several storms impacting the province. (Transport Quebec)

We have an active weather week ahead for southern Quebec, with three separate systems impacting the region. Arctic high pressure to the north has been maintaining frigid air over the region since New Year's Eve. We will start to see a significant moderation in temperatures this week, but not before some wintry precipitation.

A weak clipper type system will pas southwest of Montreal Monday afternoon, producing light snow. As much as 5cm may fall, especially the closer you get to the Ontario, New York state borders. Temperatures will be cold in Montreal Monday, struggling to reach -12C (10F) along with light northerly winds.

A common scene on Ile Perrot this winter, with roads often snow covered from frequent smaller storms. (Valley Weather) 

A second stronger storm system will develop near Chicago on Tuesday and pass south of Montreal. This system will have more moisture to work with, so we are looking at flurries Tuesday afternoon, developing into a steady snow Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. At this time, we are looking at a good 10cm of snow for Montreal. The Wednesday morning commute could be difficult across the region.

The third storm this week will arrive late Thursday. This low pressure will track well north and west of the St. Lawrence Valley, allowing for a surge of very mild air into Montreal. Temperatures will rise well above freezing, possible as warm as 7C (45F) by Friday. As a result, the bulk of any precipitation would fall as rain, with perhaps a little freezing rain at the onset and flurries on the backside late Saturday or Sunday.

Temperatures as mentioned will warm to well above normal values for at least three days, with overnight lows above freezing Friday night. By Sunday, a cold front will move across the region, bringing us back to reality for mid January. Highs will fall back below freezing at -1C (30F) Sunday, with even colder air arriving next week.