Icy start

Icy roads are affecting regions from Minnesota across the Great Lakes
and Ontario and into Quebec. (CNN.com)

It is a very dark and icy start to the work week on this Monday morning. A warm front has lifted north of Montreal and extreme southwest Quebec and the freezing rain has changed to rain in the city. However the bulk of the rest of the region remains at or below freezing with warnings still in effect and very dangerous travel conditions. Already this morning one fatal accident was reported on Highway 10 along the South Shore of Montreal. Travel is slow especially north of Montreal where freezing rain continues. Many schools across the Laurentians and North Shore are closed today because it is just too icy for the buses. Temperatures will slowly warm above freezing with rain continuing into the afternoon. It will be mild today with temperatures reaching 7C and remaining there overnight. A cold front will produce more rain on Tuesday before a major drop in temperatures and some snow by Friday.

Several storms will move along an arctic boundary across the Midwest US this week. West of the front it is late December cold with temperatures in the minus teens and snowing. Snow was even reported in Vancouver and Victoria, unusual at anytime of year, but especially in November. Along the frontal boundary freezing rain is falling in Minnesota with over 400 accidents state wide and two fatalities. The poor travel weather will be reinforced by cold air and another major storm sweeping the middle portion of the continent by Thanksgiving.

The progression of the Arctic chill this week. AccuWeather.com