Extreme cold to ease for Montreal - storm by Sunday

It was a bitterly cold morning in Montreal on Thursday. (ValleyWX)

Yesterday was the coldest day in Montreal since the late 60's as the high was only -23C (-9F). The previous record low max was -17.8C (0F) set in 1968. Low temperatures were cold but not record breaking for Montreal with a low of -27.3C (-17F), the record was -28C from 1981. Gusty winds all day made it feel like -40C outside, all around just nasty to do anything other than walk from point A to B. The cold created some power outages as well as thousands of calls to CAA for dead batteries. This morning is a touch better as we sit at yesterday's high temperature of -23C. It is still windy with windchill warnings posted and a windchill reading of -35C at 7am at Trudeau Airport. It remains cold all over the east with Toronto at -23C and Ottawa at -27C this morning. Other regions of Quebec were as cold as -40C yesterday morning with the coldest going to Normandin, Quebec at -46C. Montreal remained on the extreme northern edge of a big Nor'Easter yesterday with about 2cm of snow. Between 6" and 2 feet of snow fell across New England with the most in the western suburbs of Boston. High surf and heavy winds pounded the coastal areas with some flooding. The storm is hitting Atlantic Canada today with blizzard conditions.

NEXT STORM
Temperatures will rise to -21C today before another bitterly cold night tonight at -26C. On Saturday milder air will begin to move into southern Quebec with a high of -12C forecast and all the way up to -4C on Sunday. The warmer air comes at a price as another winter storm develops over the Midwest and moves towards Montreal. With cold on the backside and warm on the front it looks like a snow or freezing rain event with possibly some rain as well. The track will come more clear over the weekend but it promises to be a messy commute Monday in Ontario and Quebec.

Above: Nearly 2 feet of snow fell west of Boston yesterday.
Below: Meanwhile the entire Seacoast of New Hampshire was hit as well including North Hampton near Hampton Beach. Even rescue vehicles had a hard time on icy highways.