After the rain - cooler weather for Quebec & Ontario

Fire crews responded to hundreds of downed trees and power lines in Calgary on Wednesday. I really hate the idea of snow pictures on the blog in September but what can you do. Mother nature continues to shock southern Alberta with snow and cold weather. (CBC News)

While the temperature edged close to 27C (81F) in Montreal on Wednesday, snow fell once again across southwest Alberta, edging into parts of the Cypress Hills in Saskatchewan and south into Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota. 

The freak snowstorm out west knocked down hundreds of trees in Calgary under the wight of nearly 20cm (8 inches) of wet snow. This was the second snowstorm in as many days with cold temperatures running as much as 20 degrees below normal. The downed trees in many cases took down power lines creating massive power outages across southwest Alberta. The power is slowly being restored. The snow has now spread south into Montana, with up to 1 foot of wet snow forecast in some localities today.

Meanwhile Montreal basked in warm sunshine, even a touch humid ahead of strong cold front that already started across the region this morning. That front brought clouds and showers overnight with about 7mm of rain here on L'Ile Perrot. Radar shows more showers off to the west in Ontario so the threat will remain into early afternoon before ending. Winds are picking up as well ahead of the cold front, out of the southwest up to 50km/h. They will gust to 70km/h in the St. Lawrence Valley by the middle afternoon and diminish this evening. The temperatures of 17 to 20C this morning will remain nearly stationary for most of the day perhaps gaining a degree or two if the sun pops out this afternoon. It will clear this evening with cool lows down to 8C (47F). Look for a fall like day Friday with partly cloudy skies and temperatures near 17C (63F).

On Wednesday the aforementioned cold front brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to southern Ontario. As much as 100mm (4 inches) of rain fell in Amherstburg, 64mm in Windsor, 67mm in London and 27mmm in Toronto.

The 9-11 Memorial in New York City. Please take time to remember today.