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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quiet and cold weather on tap for southern Quebec

It is another frigid morning in Montreal on Friday, with windchill values in the -30s. January has been cold, with temperatures below -20C recorded at Trudeau Airport on 8 of the 30 days to date. Montreal has also had at least a trace of snow on 24 of the 30 days this month, making for constant icy driving conditions. (Valley Weather Photo)

High pressure will dominate the weather through the weekend and into next week, with temperatures moderating slowly, but remaining below normal for most of us. Montreal dropped to a chilly -22C (-8F) Friday morning, along with a northerly breeze resulting in windchill values in the -30s. A weak disturbance may set off a few flurries today for Montreal, but minimal accumulations are expected.

Saturday will be sunny and cold, with morning lows around -20C (-4F) and daytime highs close to -12C (10F). On Sunday, a strong Nor'Easter will move northeast in the Atlantic towards the Maritimes. This low will bring near-blizzard conditions along the immediate coast for place like the Outer Banks in North Carolina, Long Island and Cape Cod. The storm will then impact Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick with 15-30cm of snow and 80kmh wind gusts.

For southern Québec, the only impacts may be a few high clouds along with a cold damp northeast wind. High temperatures will be around -12C (10F). At this time next week looks fair with slowly warming temperatures. Highs however will remain below freezing as we head into the first week of February. No major storms are on the horizon for Montreal at this time.

The cold this weekend will stretch as far as south Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, with lows close to freezing and even a few snowflakes possible into central parts of the sunshine state.

The current cold snap has pushed snow far south into places that are not accustomed to it, such as Dallas, shown above. More heavy snow is forecast this weekend from the Carolinas to coastal New England. (AccuWeather Photo)

Historic snowstorm for Toronto - less snow but frigid cold, power outages in Montreal

The icy Galipault Bridge from Ile Perrot onto the Island of Montreal on Monday morning. Very cold temperatures and snow are resulting in extremely slippery roadways. There have been numerous accidents reported on Highway 40 in both directions on and off the island due to the ice and snow. (Valley Weather Photo)

The powerful winter storm that has impacted the weather across eastern North America this weekend is now located east of New England over the Atlantic Ocean. The center will move offshore of Atlantic Canada on Monday, while a secondary wave of energy over the Great Lakes slides across northern New York producing more snow for Montreal.

Snow will continue in Montreal on Monday, with another 5-10cm possible. Montreal was always going to be on the extreme northern edge of this system, that combined with the extremely cold air, produce lighter accumulations than many regions located to our south and west.

In southern Ontario, Toronto was hammered with an historic snowfall over a 12-15 hour period. An intense lake effect plume of snow moved northwest into the city centre, dumping 50-60cm of snow Sunday. At Pearson Airport, all operations came to a halt, with all flight cancelled, adding to the thousands already grounded across North America. At the Airport, 46cm fell. This was the most snow on a single day since records began in 1937.

Toronto's Pearson Airport ground to a halt on Sunday, after an record-breaking 46cm of snow fell in just a few hours. Blizzard conditions were reported for more than 8 hours. The city remains closed Monday morning, with hundreds of flights cancelled and transportation crawling. (Ontario Storm Reports)

By comparison, areas away form Lake Ontario received much less, with 10cm at Ottawa and 11cm here in Montreal. Gusty winds in Toronto produce blizzard conditions for over 8 hours. Roads and schools are closed on Monday morning, as that city slowly digs out.

In Montreal the bitter cold lead to an equipment failure at the Hampstead substation, with power out to thousands for 24-48 hours during the intense cold. Warming centres were established, especially in hard-hit areas like Côte St-Luc. As of Monday morning, power remains out to 3500 Hydro-Quebec customers, most here on the Island of Montreal.

Temperatures were bitter over the weekend, with morning lows at my home on Ile Perrot, of -25C (-13F) Saturday morning, and -26C (-15F) on Sunday. Daytime highs struggled into the low minus teens both days. Combined with gusty winds, windchill values plunged into the -30C to -40C range. We are slightly warmer Monday morning in the snow, at -15C (5F). The cold has created very icy services, with numerous accidents occurring in Montreal. 

Freezing rain across the deep south in places like Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia, produced dangerous travel condtions and has left hundreds of thousand without power. (Tennessee State Police)

Across the border in the US, the storm has produced widespread damage from heavy freezing rain in places like Nashville south into northern Mississippi and Georgia. While further north, 20 to 40cm of snow fell in New York City and Boston, and from the middle Atlantic states into the Ohio Valley and New England. Air and ground travel remains extremely difficult Monday morning, and power is out to nearly 850,000 homes from Texas to Virginia.

Widespread damage has occurred from nearly 25mm (1 inch) of freezing rain that fell in places like northern Mississippi (shown above) and cross the southern US and Middle Atlantic regions. (The Weather Channel)

Frigid weather persists - snowfall warning added for Montreal and Ottawa

A very cold sunset across the frozen Lake of Two Mountains on Friday evening. Temperatures will slowly moderate this week, however we can expect significant snow from a strong winter storm moving north from the US. (Valley Weather Photo)

Snowfall Warning in effect for Montreal, southern Quebec and eastern Ontario.

Widespread winter storm and snowfall warnings are in effect across a large portion of eastern North America, including here in southern Quebec and across most of southern Ontario into Atlantic Canada.

It was a frigid day across southern Quebec on Saturday, with temperatures remaining in the minus 20s for most locations. Morning lows were cold, with -25.1C (-13F) here on Ile Perrot, -25C at Trudeau Airport and -26C (-15F) in Ottawa. Other locations in Quebec were as cold as the minus 30s. A northwest breeze pushed windchill values as cold as -37C (-35F) in Montreal.

Arctic high pressure will remain in place for one more night, before a slow moving winter storm approaches the region from the south. Clear skies Saturday night will allow for an overnight low in Montreal of  -22C (-8F). On Sunday, low pressure will develop in the Mississippi Valley and rapidly deepen as it moves to the middle Atlantic coast and north towards Cape Cod. Secondary troughing over the Great Lakes will help transport deep moisture inland across New England and southern Quebec. Montreal will remain on the northern edge of this powerful Nor'easter, with the heaviest snow expected to fall to our south.

Snow is forecast to spread north and east on Sunday, arriving in Montreal late in the day. The snow may be heavy at times into Monday morning. Temperatures will remain very cold, with an high of -16C (4F) on Sunday. The dry, fluffy snow will be blown around easily by northeast winds up to 40km/h. The wind will also provide bitter windchill values in the St. Lawrence Valley into Monday morning. Snow will persist into Monday, tapering off to flurries during the afternoon.

In terms of accumulations, we can expect 15-20cm from the Ottawa Valley towards Montreal. Less snow is forecast northward into the Laurentian, with perhaps 10-15cm. South towards the US border and into New England anywhere from 20-40cm is possible. Travel will be very poor on Sunday night and Monday. The Monday morning commute in Montreal could be greatly affected.

This is the same storm system that is impacting nearly half the United States with heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds. The storm has resulted in significant travel delays, with over 13,000 flights already cancelled and roads in poor shape. Widespread power outages are anticipated in parts of the southern US, where 15-25mm of freezing rain is forecast.

Frigid cold weekend for Montreal with more snow

The icy St. Lawrence River as frigid air moves into southern Quebec. The weather will remain very cold well into next week, with the potential for significant snowfall late Sunday into Monday for Montreal.

Extreme Cold Warnings are up for a large portion of Canada and the Northern US, including here in Quebec, but excluding metro Montreal at this time. Bundle up this weekend, protect your hands and face, wear layers and make certain your pets are safe. The extreme cold is especially hard on the the very young and seniors. This is January in Montreal, we have this.

The North American weather map it lit up from coast to coast to coast with weather warnings. Most are related to intense cold and snow squalls in Canada, with heavy snow and freezing rain across the US from New England to Texas.

For Montreal the coldest air of the season will move into southern Ontario and Quebec Friday behind an arctic boundary. That front may trigger more flurries and squalls on Friday afternoon. The boundary will also introduce frigid air to the St. Lawrence Valley. How cold? On Friday morning, North Bay, Ontario is already down to -20C (-4F), with Thunder Bay at -32C (-25F). 

Further west, extreme cold warnings are in effect across Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Every reporting station in Saskatchewan is colder than -30C Friday morning, including -43.3C (-46F) at Uranium City. Windchills are as cold as -50C(-59F).

It will not get that cold in Montreal, but we are looking at falling temperatures and increasing winds for Friday. Our high has been reached for Friday, around -9C (16F), with temperatures falling throughout the day down to morning lows Saturday of -24C (-11F) in the city. Lows wil approach -30C in many off island locations. Gusty west winds of 20-50km/h will result in -30C to -40C windchills values.

SUNDAY SNOWSTORM UPDATE

Winds will ease on Saturday, but the weather will remain very cold, with a high of -19C (-2F). On Sunday, computer guidance continues to shift the US winter storm northward along the Eastern Seaboard, with winter storm watches now up right to the Canadian border. 

What that means for Montreal is snow starting Sunday afternoon and persisting into the Monday morning commute, along with gusty northeast winds, blowing snow and very cold temperatures. Temperatures with the snow will be around -13C (9F). It is still a little early too speculate and storm totals as the system is still evolving, but we are looking at the possibility of more than 10cm here in the city, with much more south and east. Stay tuned!

Snowy and cold forecast for southern Quebec

Crews have been kept busy this January, with snow falling on 18 of the 21 days to date. While daily amounts have been on the light side, it has resulted in 40 to 50cm  falling across the Montreal region This has required almost daily salting and plowing. Roads have been less than ideal and highly variable, with numerous accidents. (Valley Weather Photo)

Snow Squall Watch in effect for Thursday.

Much of southwestern Quebec and Ontario is set to have the coldest air of the season arrive behind a series of arctic boundaries over the next 36 hours. Wednesday evening, an overperforming warm front is delivering a few centimetres of snow to the Montreal region. Roads have become snow covered and icy, with numerous accidents reported, including a major crash on Highway 40 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Low pressure will travel well northwest of Montreal as the warm front lifts north of the city. Warmer air will briefly arrive overnight and into the first part of Thursday, with highs near -3C (27F). On Thursday, the first cold front arrives in the afternoon, along with increasing southwest winds and occasional snow squalls. Some of the squalls may be briefly intense, with heavy snow and blowing snow. Up to 5cm of fresh is possible in the Montreal region.

Temperatures will drop throughout the day Thursday and into Friday morning, down to -12C (10F). On Friday a secondary arctic front arrives, with the chance for more snow flurries. Skies will be partly cloudy, and it will be cold, with very little temperature rise. Both Thursday and Friday, winds will be gusty from the southwest first, backing to the northwest, 40-70km/h.

Friday night, cold arctic high pressure will settle into the region, with clear skies and frigid temperatures. Overnight lows will drop into the -20s, with windchills in the minus 30's. Saturday will be fair and frigid, with highs no better than -20C (-4C) and dangerous windchill values.

SUNDAY SNOWSTORM?

The big US winter storm that is forecast to move across the deep south and along the eastern seaboard, may impact us after all late Sunday and Monday. Some forecast models are indicating several centimetres of snow for parts of the St. Lawrence Valley, along with gusty northeast winds and bitter cold. Stay tuned for more details as this system develops over the next few days.

Snow squalls and frigid weather for the week ahead

Snow squalls in southern Quebec and especially along the 401 corridor in Ontario, will make for dangerous and highly changeable road conditions Monday and Tuesday. Strong winds and frigid cold return this week, with the chance for more snow. Even colder air arrives by next weekend, with lows in the -20s.

Snow Squall Watch - Cornwall to Montreal. Afternoon and evening snow squalls are possible for Montreal and southern Quebec.

Snow Squall Warning - west of Cornwall to Port Hope - Lake effect snow squalls today, with dangerous travel expected along Highway 401.

Cold from Montreal all the way to Florida and west across the Great lakes will be the big story this week. Several arctic boundaries will introduce progressively colder air this week, along with scattered snow showers and snow squalls. Some of the squalls, especially close to the Great lakes, will be very intense, with blizzard conditions, heavy snow, zero visibility and dangerous windchills.

For Montreal, we can expect light snow today ahead of the main front, as low pressure travels well north of the city. Temperatures will be around -5C (23F). Monday afternoon and evening, the front arrives, accompanied by strong southwest winds up to 70km/h and occasional flurries, with the risk of squalls. Generally less than 5cm is expected, but some locations toward the Ontario border may see as much as 10cm. Strong winds will cause blowing snow and reduced visibility.

Very cold temperatures flood in behind the front, along with strong winds into Tuesday. Lows will drop to -15C (5F) and struggle to -12C (10F) on Tuesday. Windchill values will be in the minus 20s Even colder air arrives by the end of the week, but will will cover that in future posts.

For Ontario, dangerous snow squall are forecast to develop off Lake Ontario an impact the region along the 401 corridor from Cornwall to Port Hope. In this zone 10 to 20cm is possible, with very poor travel conditions. Visibility in 70-90km/h winds will drop to near-zero at times. Travel along the 401 from Montreal is not advised today.

Snow fell as far south as northern Florida over the weekend. Even colder air will spread south over the upcoming week. (Photo: Florida Weather Center)

The squalls are expected to be so intense, that Environment Canada has issued a rare Blizzard Warning for Prince Edward County at the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. Strong winds up to 90km/h, will be accompanied by heavy snow, with 20-40cm possible. Those same conditions will be possible along Interstate 81 south towards Watertown and also east of Lake Huron.

Over the weekend, freezing temperatures and snow occurred as far south as the Florida panhandle. More frigid weather and snow is likely this week and into next weekend, from New England to Florida.