Rain and Thunderstorms

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

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

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

Prairie snowstorm

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

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

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

Cooling trend - Two confirmed Tornadoes

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

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

Warm east, snow west

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

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

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

Huge temperature swing

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

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

Wild Weather Weekend

Tree damage in the GTA yesterday

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

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

Record warmth possible Saturday

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

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

Warming trend

Fog and low clouds hang over Montreal yesterday.

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

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

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

BIG Warm up on the way

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

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

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

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

Unsettled Week Ahead

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

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

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

Sunny today - Rainy Saturday

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

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

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

Happy Easter

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

Happy Easter...

Sunny but chilly Easter

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

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

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

April SNOW

Light Snow obscures downtown Montreal today.

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

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

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

GO SOX!!!

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

Storm moves eastward

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

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

Signs of spring

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

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

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

An April Snowstorm?

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

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

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

Be good to one another see you tomorrow.

Maybe even a little snow!

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

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

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

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

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

Rain & Thunderstorms

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

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

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