Historic New England flooding

The month of March has produced some of the heaviest rainfall in recent memory across New England and the middle Atlantic states. Yesterday was no different as nearly 7 inches of rain fell in Rhode Island and Massachusetts producing record breaking - life threatening floods. Flooding of this magnitude has not been seen since the early 1950's when back to back hurricanes, Connie and Donna flooded the region. The Pawtuxet River is cresting at nearly 9 feet over flood stage and has forced closure of Interstate 95 near Warwick. Major flooding has forced thousands out of their homes with rivers continuing to rise in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The map below shows how much rain fell during the most recent storms. The heaviest rain remained just to our south along the US border. Some regions have had almost 2 feet or rain in March.

WARM MARCH
Montreal received about 25mm of rain over the last week to bring our monthly total to only 59.2mm (2.2 inches). That amount fell on only 6 days of the month. We normally have precipitation on 13 days during March. The incredible stats are our daily maximum temperatures and snowfall. The average maximum was 7.7C compared to a normal of 2.2C. The mean average was a warm 3.3 compared to the normal of -2.3C. We recorded only 1.4cm of snow officially at Dorval, or less than one inch. Unbelievable for a "winter" month. We are looking at potential record highs on both Friday and Saturday with temperatures reaching 25C.

More rain - then summer warmth

Low pressure continues to move along the Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras north to New York City by later today. Copious amounts of moisture along with strong winds and pounding surf have been affecting the east coast for the last 24 hours. Some regions have had nearly 100mm (4 inches) of rain with another 2-4 inches is likely before it tapers off later today. Montreal received 13.2mm yesterday, before skies cleared for a frosty overnight. It reached -1C this morning with frost on the cars and a spattering of black ice on some area roadways. Another round of steady rain and gusty northeast winds will move inland towards the St. Lawrence Valley later today, but Montreal will remain on the western edge, so while the rain will be steady, we will not see anywhere near the amounts recorded along the east coast of the US.

Flooding continues to be a major issue from New Hampshire across Massachusetts and southern Connecticut and into new jersey and New York. parts of New jersey are experiencing the worst flooding in over 25 years. In Massachusetts the Governor has declared a state of emergency, and the National Guard has been called out.

After the rain tapers off late Wednesday, skies will clear out under strong high pressure, and record setting warmth and sunshine will move into the east for the Easter long weekend. Look for sunshine and temperatures approaching June values from 24 to 27C.

Rainy start...warm finish

Low pressure moving along the Atlantic coast will produce steady rain in Montreal today with heavy wet snow along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River north of Anticosti Island. This storm will bring 15-25mm of rain to the southwest part of the province and at least 15cm of wet snow to eastern parts of Quebec. This same low pressure area was responsible for several tornadoes last night over the Carolina's, and heavy rain once again from eastern North Carolina across the Delmarva and metro New York and into New England. This region can expect 3 to 6 inches of rain in the next 24 to 36 hours aggravating the already serious flood situation. This is the third storm to dump heavy rain on the same region in less than two weeks.

The good news is that once the rain moves out by Wednesday, we can expect a large ridge of high pressure to build in from the central US. A bubble of warm, summer like air will arrive just in time for the long Easter weekend. I expect sunshine Friday and Saturday with temperatures over 20C.

Earth Hour

A cold start to the morning in Montreal today as the temperature has reach -10C with a wind chill of -19C. This a far cry from yesterdays high of 13C. The temperature fell rapidly behind an arctic cold front from 12C at 6pm last night to 0C by 11pm. The front was dry in Montreal but did produce some snow squalls east of Quebec City. Today will be sunny and chilly with a brisk wind and a high around -2C. Saturday looks much the same with sunny skies and cool temperatures, before low pressure brings milder air and showers for Sunday.

Earth Hour occurs tomorrow night at 8:30pm local time. You are asked to shut down all lights for one hour to help save the earth and our environment. Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. One year later Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Cross on Mt. Royal here in Montreal, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour. Visit HERE for more information.

Very Cold Friday

Snowy Wednesday morning in Beaconsfield, QC. ValleyWX Pic

Our roller coaster weather week continues along, with the greatest dip poised for tonight in Montreal and Ottawa and across the region. Yesterday Montreal reached 11C after a morning start with sub-zero temperatures and snow cover. The afternoon sun was warm and temperatures rebounded to well above normal. Today will be sunny and very warm once again on increasing southwest winds in advance of an arctic boundary. That front will cross the St. Lawrence Valley by 8pm this evening with showers and some snow squalls along it and a dramatic drop in temperatures. In a month that has been above normal almost everyday along with no sub-zero highs (very rare for March), tonight and tomorrow will feel frigid. The front will drop temperatures from today's high of plus 12C down to -10 to -13C overnight, a swing of almost 25 degrees. Along with the cold Arctic air will be strong winds from the southwest, backing to the northwest tonight and gusting to 50km/h producing noticeable wind chills. Any precipitation will freeze on area roads so keep this in mind while traveling. Friday will be sunny, but very cold, and perhaps our fist below freezing high for the month at -2C.

A quick wrap up of Tuesday's storm, it produced about 16mm of rain in Montreal with the heaviest rainfall southeast of the city. Lennoxville had 33mm and parts of Vermont over 50mm. Heavy snow fell north of Quebec City with Le Massif in the Charlevoix region recording 47cm. Winds gusted to 63km/h in Montreal, and 94km/h on Ile d'Orleans near Quebec City.

Storm Update

Cold air is pouring into the St. Lawrence Valley at this hour, as low pressure moves across southern New England to lie near Boston tonight. Strong northeast winds have dropped the mercury to 0C in Montreal with freezing drizzle. In Quebec City a winter storm warning is in effect for heavy snow and blowing snow. It is currently -2C there with east winds at 63km/h and 1km visibility in ice pellets. Keep this in mind if you are traveling north and east of Montreal. The heaviest precipitation is now over for Montreal, but light snow or freezing drizzle is possible well into the evening hours. Travel with caution today and expect delays north and east of Montreal. Peak wind gusts in the Quebec City area could reach 90km/h.

Heavy rain

Issued by The National Weather Service
Burlington, VT
11:24 am EDT, Tue., Mar. 23, 2010

THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE EAST BRANCH AUSABLE RIVER AT AUSABLE FORKS. * UNTIL THIS EVENING... OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED. * AT 10:15 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 6.5 FEET. * FLOOD STAGE IS 7.0 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FORECAST... RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE TO RISE TO NEAR 7.1 FEET IN THE AFTERNOON. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY THIS EVENING. * IMPACT... AT 7.0 FEET... MINOR FLOODING CAN OCCUR IN KEENE. WATER BEGINS TO OVERFLOW ONTO HULLS FALLS ROAD... ROUTE 73... AND ROUTE 9N NEAR MARCY FIELD. HIGH WATER WILL IMPACT INTERESTS AT ALICE FALLS NEAR KEESEVILLE.

Low pressure this morning over Pennsylvania will move northeast to near Boston by late today. Radar at 8am (shown above) was showing heavy rain over the Montreal region, it has been falling since about 4am. Winds are gusting out of the northeast to 63km/h at Montreal, and 65km/h at Quebec City. While Montreal is reporting rain at 1C, the northern edge of the precipitation is falling as freezing rain and snow. Mirabel is 0C with freezing rain and Quebec City is -1C with snow. The cold rain, freezing rain and snow will continue all day with 20-40mm of total precipitation expected. Heavy snow is falling north of Quebec City into the Saguenay and Charlevoix regions. Roads are very poor in those areas as well as north of Montreal, where several schools have been closed for the day. Traffic is slow in metro Montreal due to water accumulation on area roadways and reduced visibility in heavy rain.

Weather Warnings are in effect for heavy rain, freezing rain and snow in most regions outside of metro Montreal including Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley. Flood watches have been posted for New York and Vermont. Winds will remain strong today gusting over 60km/h. All precipitation will end overnight tonight as a period of wet snow with 5 to 10cm (2-4 inches) expected in many parts of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario, with a little less in the city.

Warnings Posted

Low pressure is pushing a wide area of precipitation across New England, Ontario and into Quebec at this hour. Winds are increasing from the northeast, and cooler air is being drawn down the St. Lawrence Valley. Expect rain to begin shortly across the city and mix with freezing rain or wet snow overnight and Tuesday. The heaviest rain will fall in New England where 50 to 100mm (2-4 inches) is possible. Flood watches have been posted for Vermont and New York. Across our regions heavy rain is forecast in the Townships where warnings have been issued for up to 50mm. Meanwhile the colder air in place over the Laurentians and Ottawa Valley will result in pockets of freezing rain. All precipitation will end as a period of wet snow late Tuesday with 1-3cm possible. Freezing rain warnings are in effect for all of Eastern Ontario north of the St. Lawrence Valley and for the Ottawa Valley. They have also been posted for the Laurentians. Meanwhile heavy wet snow is forecast from Quebec City north and east with upwards of 15-20cm expected. Winds will be gusty out of the northeast to 60km/h. Travel will become very poor on area highways tonight and continue tomorrow, especially northeast on highway 20 towards Quebec City, north on the 15 into the Laurentians and northwest on the 40 towards the 417 and Ottawa.

Winter returns

Winter has returned to southern Quebec with cool temperatures and nearly 5cm of wet snow on Sunday. Another storm is poised to affect the region later today followed by the coldest air of the month to end this week.

Low pressure over the Ohio Valley is forecast to move into southern New England by Tuesday morning. A warm front will lift northward to just south of the St. Lawrence Valley overnight. In advance of this storm heavy rain will develop across New England and move north into Ontario and Quebec. The rain may begin as a period of freezing rain in the St. Lawrence Valley and Montreal as northeast winds keep the temperatures at or just above 0C. On Tuesday strong northeast winds and heavy precipitation are forecast. This system will bring 25mm (1 inch) or so of precipitation falling either as rain or a mix here in Montreal. There is the possibility that some warnings may be required, especially for the regions north or Montreal and the Ottawa Valley.

This same system dumped heavy wet snow across the southern plains over the weekend and is producing heavy rains across Pennsylvania and Ohio. Over 50mm (2 inches) of rain is forecast for the water logged region of southern New England and metro New York where flood watches have been raised. More warnings may be required later today and I will post them as they are issued. Check back this afternoon for an update.

First Day of Spring?

Highway 20 near the Ontario border today. Visibility was under 1km at times in wet snow. ValleyWX Pic

After an unseasonably mild month of March that has seen the mercury above freezing each and everyday including record highs in the mid-teens this past week, what would you expect for the first full day of spring? Exactly snow!

It has been snowing all day in the St. Lawrence Valley from Cornwall to Montreal. In the last several hours the steady snow has lowered visibility to under a kilometre at times on area highways and the snow is beginning to stick in many places. A couple of centimetres has accumulated on grassy areas and cars here in Ile Perrot, and as the temperatures continues to lower, roads will become icy as well. Many people took their winter tires off this past week, which I think may have been a little too early. The snow will taper off after midnight followed by a cloudy and milder day Monday. Another low pressure area in the Ohio Valley will move south of Montreal Tuesday pushing heavy precipitation into the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valley's. At this time it appears that most of it will fall as rain but a significant amount of freezing rain is possible in many areas including Ottawa and Montreal Monday night. More details on that tomorrow morning.

In the meantime if you are travelling the 401/20 or 40/417 tonight expect some slick spots and reduced visibility for several more hours.

Weekend Update

Our region is in for more record warmth on this last day of winter, as the mercury soars to about 15C in Montreal and 19C in Burlington, Vermont. What a winter or non-winter it has been across southern Quebec. In March we have had no snow at all, the high temperatures have all been above freezing everyday of the month, and only 17mm of precipitation has been recorded at the airport.

The weekend looks variable as several fronts affect southern Quebec. It will remain mild, but clouds will be on the increase along with showers by Sunday. A steady rain may develop into Monday before it turns cooler with a snowflake or two. No major storms are on the horizon, but it will turn much cooler into next week as temperatures settle back to normal values for late March.

Spring arrives at 1:32pm EDT on Saturday.

Record Warmth

Record high temperatures were scattered across the region yesterday including 13.1C in Montreal and 15C in Ottawa, both well above the normal high of 2C for mid-March. It was 14.4C in Kemptville, ON and even 20C in Calgary for the warm spot in the country. High pressure will dominate our weather again today with the early spring sun pushing the mercury to 15C. A weak cold front tonight will bring a few clouds and maybe a sprinkle. It will be sunny and a little cooler Thursday before low pressure heads for the St. Lawrence Valley this weekend with clouds and showers. At this time it still appears that the temperature will come back to normal next week with the chance of some snow or rain. The warm weather has resulted in a rapid melting of all the snow pack. That combined with the weekend rains is producing fast, cold and high running water on area rivers, streams and lakes. Be very careful on or near any ice or water for the time being.

New England Flooding

Rapid snow melt and heavy rain produced flooding across New England. Below: heavy surf damaged this home on Plum Island, Mass. (Boston.com photos)


Flooding spread across metro New York and New Jersey into Connecticut and Massachusetts yesterday and continues this morning. Numerous rivers are at record flood stage including the Merrimack River along the New Hampshire border with Massachusetts. Heavy rain and rapid snow melt have combined to produce what many had feared after this winters heavy snow, a rapid melt. Thankfully the storm that caused over 5 inches of rain and wind damage is moving into the Atlantic Ocean this morning. Skies are clearing out in all regions, and it will be sunny and warm for several days to help dry things out.

The next chance for rain in Montreal will come later this week. While it remains mild, and today is the official day in Quebec that you can remove snow tires, my advice would be to wait. Indications are there will be a major shift in the weather pattern the last week of March that could produce some snow in southern Quebec and Ontario. Stay Tuned! For the short term enjoy the sunshine and 14C weather today and Wednesday.

Worst storm since 1985

Damage in Scarsdale, NY. (NY Times Photo)

The storm that swept the metro New York region this weekend was the worst since hurricane Gloria in 1985. Winds of over 70mph tore down thousands of trees, crushing cars, homes and in some cases people. The storm left almost a half a million customers without power. This morning over 300,000 are still in the dark in metro New York, including Long Island, southwest Connecticut and New Jersey. In addition to the wind, coastal flooding and heavy rain has left many regions under water. Nearly 5 inches of rain fell with rivers still rising. Some evacuations will be needed especially in Massachusetts.

Montreal remained on the western edge of the storm with 50km/h winds (30mph) and about 18mm of rain or about 3/4 inch. In Montreal the sun is shinning this morning and it will be a fair and mild work week. Most of our snow is now gone with the exception of some dirty piles in parking lots.

Storm Update

Brooklyn, NY from the New York Times

As of 8am EDT this morning, a strong storm continues to spin off the Delaware coast. Abundant moisture and strong winds are feeding inland across New York, eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. The temperature in Montreal has been falling since late afternoon Saturday, and we are now at 1C with a rain/snow mix and northeast winds at 50km/h. The rain and cold temperatures with gusty winds will continue all day in the St. Lawrence Valley. Further south snow is accumulating across the highest elevations of the Green Mountains, so a winter storm warning has been posted for 4 to 7 inches of wet snow in that region. Coastal areas continue to see flooding and pounding waves. Flooding is also occurring across southern New England and western New York. Travel today with great care as roads are wet and in some cases snow is falling.

Of note the death toll is at 5 from falling trees in the New York metro region. Power remains out to hundreds of thousands across the tri-state region. Highways are closed from flooding and trees are down everywhere, too many to count.

Another strong Nor'Easter

One of thousands of trees down in New Jersey. NJ.com Photo

A powerful east coast storm is pounding the region from the Carolina's northward into New York and coastal New England. The storm has produced hurricane force wind gusts today causing widespread damage and coastal flooding. Winds gusted to 67mph at JFK in New York City and over 50mph in southern Ontario. Power is out to over 450,000 homes in New York and New Jersey. Several thousand homes lost power in southern Ontario. Flooding rains are occurring in metro New York and southern New England. Numerous trees have fallen and the wind has taken several roofs off as well. Trees have crushed cars and homes on Long Island, where over 125,000 customers are without power. The New Jersey Turnpike had to be closed at Exit 7 due to debris being blown onto the highway, and rail service has been suspended in that state. The region had an incredible amount of snow this winter, so the ground is saturated increasing concerns for major flooding. Nearly 4 inches (100mm) of rain is forecast before the storm pulls east out to sea. Strong winds and steady rain also moved into Ontario today from Cornwall west into the GTA. The rain and strong winds are forecast to move into Vermont and Quebec overnight. Winds are expected between 40-60km/h in Montreal, where they are currently gusting over 40km/h. The heaviest rain should remain south of the city.

• Today is the anniversary of the big 1993 Superstorm that struck from Cuba and Mexico to Quebec and east into Atlantic Canada. Over 40cm of snow fell in Montreal with zero visibility for hours. Power was out and roads were closed in the city. It was the only day in my 10 years at the Montreal Gazette that our paper did not get out to our customers. Nearly 300 deaths were reported along the storms path with damage of over 6 billion from snow, flooding, tornadoes, strong wind and waves.

Weekend Update

It was a poor decision to play with the clock on the weekends and take away an hour from us. Why not do it in the middle of the workday! On that note, remember to do just that task before going to bed Saturday night, spring forward one hour.

The weekend will be decent in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario as we remain on the northern edge of yet another east coast storm, the same scenario that has played out all season. Saturday will be partly cloudy and mild, while Sunday will be much cooler with showers. This time it is a warmer storm system with heavy rain (not snow) and thunderstorms expected from the Ohio Valley into the middle Atlantic and northeast US. Winds and clouds will begin to increase in the St. Lawrence Valley late Saturday and into Sunday. With the storm passing to our south and east, winds in the valley will be out of the northeast, this should result in a very cool, raw day for the big St. Patrick's Day Parade in Montreal. While I think the heavy rain will stay to our south, any precipitation at plus 2C with a northeast wind will make it feel uncomfortable outside. It will warm again next week under clearing skies.

It has been a very dry start to March, just like February. To date in Montreal we have had 0.0mm of precipitation. You have to go back to February 27th for the last precipitation. Normally we should have 73.6mm for the month of March. February recovered during the last 10 days or so ending the month with 49mm including 47.8cm of snow. Normally we should have 61.5mm and 43cm of snow for February. So ironically we had more snow than normal last month, go figure, it sure did not show.

Mild weather contiues

High pressure continues to dominate the weather in southern Quebec and eastern Ontario with mild and sunny March weather. Temperatures will continue to be well above normal right through the weekend. A weak cold front this morning is producing some clouds and a few sprinkles south of Montreal across the Adirondacks. Clouds will clear and it will be another sunny and warm day with temperatures pushing 10C. Strong low pressure over the Midwestern US is producing very heavy rain and some severe weather in the form of hail and scattered tornadoes across the southern plains and into the southeast. This storm will move north and east and along the Atlantic coast with heavy rain and strong winds. The weather will deteriorate across the St. Lawrence Valley Saturday and into Sunday with clouds on the increase, scattered showers and gusty winds. I think at this time that the heaviest rain will remain south of the region from southern New England into the middle Atlantic states. This situation may change, but at this time the heavy rain will remain south of Quebec and hopefully the St. Patrick's Day parade in Montreal on Sunday will be dry.

Oklahoma Tornado

Post #900 (Hard to believe, thanks for reading!)

A true sign of the seasons yesterday as severe thunderstorm and tornado activity was reported across the southern plains of the US. Low pressure, which will become our weekend weather maker, moved from California across the southern plains producing the heavy storms and spawning a tornado near Hammon, Oklahoma. No injuries were reported, but damage was significant and 5 homes were destroyed. Tornado activity typically increases across this region from March into April and May before it shifts northward. On average Oklahoma records 4 March tornadoes, last year there was only one.

Meanwhile Montreal was sunny and a warm 10C yesterday as most of our snow continued to dissolve away. The forecast is for sunny and mild weather into Friday morning before the southern plains storm moves into the region with rain for the weekend.

Fair, Dry & Mild

High pressure will continue to dominate our weather this week with sunshine and mild temperatures. A cool breeze will be around today gusting to 40km/h but after that it should be very pleasant for the balance of the work week. High temperatures will be around plus 7C with cool overnight lows around -5C. Most of our snow is now gone with the exception of where it was piled up by the plows. Not sure if that is it for our winter, but I would say not. The next chance for precipitation and clouds will not come until late Friday when low pressure moves in from the deep south.

Weekend Update

A very simple forecast for Montreal, Ottawa, Plattsburgh and the region, sunny and mild. Temperatures will reach 6C (43F) on both Saturday and Sunday with abundant sunshine. It would be even warmer, but I believe the snow cover and north wind will keep our temperatures in check. A weak storm system will slide across the Great Lakes on Monday with flurries or showers followed by sunny and dry weather for the balance of the week. Another larger storm may affect the region by next weekend, but early indications are that is will follow the similar path of the winter and pass south of New England and miss Montreal.

The Blizzard of 1971

Classic images of the Blizzard of 1971 in Montreal. My most vivid weather memories were of the small sidewalk plows like the one in the photo above and the scores of snowmobiles.

As we prepare to enjoy our first round of spring weather, my thoughts are on March 4, 1971, a day that I remember so well. I was only 5 years old when the largest blizzard in Montreal history slammed the city. I spent the day literally in the windowsill of our duplex on LaSalle Boulevard in Verdun watching the events unfold. We were right on the St. Lawrence River and the wind howled down that street. Little did I know that day would spark a lifelong passion in weather. It remains to this day the largest snowstorm to strike this city and parts of the province. The 24 hour snow totals were impressive with 47cm in Montreal and over 60cm in other parts of Quebec and Ontario. Drifts were over 6 feet high. That was just a small part of the story. This storm was an Atlantic nor'easter with the ferocity of a hurricane. The barometric pressure during the height of the storm dropped to 972mb or that of a Category 2 hurricane and winds gusted to over 120km/h in many parts of the St. Lawrence Valley including 110km/h at then Dorval Airport. I spent the day in the window watching snowmobiles go back and forth in the zero visibility for hours rescuing motorists and delivering people to area hospitals. Roads were closed including the 401 and 20 and power was out to thousands of Hydro customers.

I found some photos from a news report by Radio Canada and posted them on this entry.
Here is another link to find out much more on the Blizzard of 1971.

Another near miss

From AccuWeather.com, a dog frolics in the snow across the deep south yesterday as they continue to have our winter!

Low pressure will move from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to well east of Long Island, NY tonight. Snow has spread from the deep south through the middle Atlantic and into coastal New England today with up to 10cm of wet snow expected. Winds will be strong out of the northeast up to 80km/h. This weather will move into Maine and coastal New Brunswick and Nova Scotia tonight. Meanwhile strong high pressure will build into the St. Lawrence Valley with spring weather for Montreal. The only fly in the forecast will be gusty northeast winds from that Atlantic Ocean storm. They will blow out of the northeast in the order of 20 to 40km/h today making it feel cool and capping the temperature at 2 or 3C. Abundant sunshine will last into the weekend with warm temperatures, well above freezing during the day and just below at night, reaching 8C by Saturday. Yesterday it was colder in parts of Georgia and Alabama than it was in Montreal. Snow fell in Atlanta, closing roads and schools as the bizzaro winter of 2009/10 rolls along.

Early Spring Weather

Partly cloudy days with clear nights and mild temperatures can be expected for the balance of this week. Temperatures will be well above normal in the warm March sun. I expect it to easily make it to 5C across the area today. Montreal was 6C yesterday with plenty of snow melting. At this rate we may see our lawns by the weekend. No precipitation is expected before next Monday. Low pressure developing today near North Carolina will move out into the Atlantic well south of New England. The next threat for any snow or rain will come next Sunday night and Monday.

Enjoy the mild weather but remember, that March and April hold the distinction of having the biggest snowstorms in Montreal and southern Quebec including the record breaking March 4, 1971 storm and the March 13, 1993 super storm as well as on April 4, 1975. You get the idea I could go on there are so many more examples. I guess what I am saying is don't put away the shovel just yet.

In like a lamb

That old March saying is once again upon us "In like a Lamb, out like a Lion"

Well it appears lamb-like across our region today. Low pressure once again along the east coast will provide steady snow and rain from New York City and Boston into Maine and the Maratimes. It will spare our area with the exception of a few showers or flurries and some gusty northwest winds. A few centimetres may accumulate near the US border and into Vermont. Skies will clear out very slowly on Tuesday and high pressure will take over and dominate the weather for the balance of the week with sunny skies and very mild temperatures. Overnight lows will be in the -5 to -8C range with daytime highs in the warm March sun soaring to between 4 and 6C on the plus side. Ice and snow will begin to melt quickly so keep that in mind when venturing near area waterways. Also make sure that drains and catch basins are free of snow and ice so that the winter can flow freely away!