Winter storm update

A power crew from Rochester awaits the anticipated work in northern New York. Crews are preparing around the region as a major ice event has begun. (WPTZ 5)

Freezing rain mixed with sleet has been occurring all day in Montreal with the heaviest precipitation southwest of Quebec still in Ontario. The forecast remains on track with low pressure and a deep plume of tropical moisture riding northeast along a stalled arctic boundary. Winter storm, ice storm and freezing rain warnings remain posted for all regions from Toronto to Quebec City and east into Atlantic Canada. They also stretch across portions of the Midwest and southern plains northeast into extreme northern New York and Vermont. The hardest hit area for freezing rain with this storm, the worst since 1998, will be from Kingston to Watertown, New York northeast into Franklin County, New York including Massena and Cornwall.

A power line covered in heavy ice in Oklahoma today, the same storm that is heading this way.

Montreal will receive a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow which hopefully will cut down on the ice accretion on power lines and trees. We can expect 15-30cm of snow/sleet while the southern St. Lawrence Valley is looking for up to 40mm of freezing rain, just a devastating amount. Hydro One in Ontario is already reporting over 10,000 customers without power, mainly near Kingston and Gananoque. Expect that number to grow. I will continue to provide updates as often as I can so check back and watch the Twitter feed.