Frigid weather continues from coast to coast

A late season cold outbreak is making our weather feel more like January then March. It is another cold morning on L'Ile Perrot currently at -20C. Factor in the wind and it feels like the mid to low -20's. The weather is the same clear across the country with snow in B.C. and extreme cold across the Prairies. Edmonton dropped to -35.1 Sunday morning breaking a record of -34.4 that had stood since the icy cold winter of 1971. It was -39.8 in Coronation on Sunday establishing a new record as well. Other record lows were widespread across the west and windchill readings plunged to the ridiculous -50's.

Montreal received between 2-8cm of snow late Saturday from an arctic front. At my home on L'Ile Perrot and southwest to Cornwall, Ontario, a heavier band of snow dropped about 7cm while only 2cm fell at Trudeau Airport. It will be a cold and breezy day in Montreal today with a high temperature near -11C, the normal high is 0C. Cold and clear overnight with a low near -20C. Temperatures will slowly warm this week with no big storms on the horizon for the city.

Montreal Blizzard of 1971
Today marks the start 43 years ago of the Blizzard of 1971. It would drop 47cm of snow on Montreal in 36 hours with hurricane force winds in the St. Lawrence Valley. The storm would shut down the region. My post on The Suburban Weather Blog has all the details along with photos. Check it out HERE.

The big dig out, March 5, 1971. (Radio Canada Photo)