Next coastal storm to impact southern Quebec

Hydro Quebec crews are currently on the ground in southern New York, helping restore power to some of the nearly 2 million homes affected by last weeks storm. (Twitter @HydroQuebec)

We have a very active weather week ahead for southern Quebec and New England. I will start by taking a brief look back at the storm that just left us. The powerful nor'easter pounded the southern New England coast with heavy surf and widespread coastal flooding. Strong winds, gusting over 120km/h brought down thousands of trees and power lines from the Carolinas to Maine. At the height of the storm, over 2 million homes and businesses were without power. Hydro Quebec was contacted in advance of the storm by local utilities, and responded with 108 teams, comprising 220 employees. The teams are scattered around New England, but are mostly located along the souther tier of New York state, near the Pennsylvania border. This region received over two feet (60cm) of heavy wet snow. Infrastructure took a big hit in coastal communities, including Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, where roads were washed out. Further south in Massachusetts, beaches were swept away and numerous homes damaged. Seven deaths were blamed on the storm.

Powerful winds and pounding surf caused widespread damage from New England to the Carolinas. The photo above was taken in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. (Tewksbury Police Photo)

Over the weekend, what was left of the system, drifted into the Atlantic, but had enough moisture left over to interact with an upper level disturbance over southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. As a result, cloud cover dominated our weather, along with light snow. Some locations reported as much as 5cm of wet snow.

The next storm is on the horizon, expected to produce heavy snow for many regions of Quebec. (AccuWeather.com)

Looking ahead to this week, another major system is forecast to develop on Thursday along the east coast. This system will not be as strong as last weeks storm, but still have an impact on our weather. Depending on the exact track and proximity to the coast, some locations in southern Quebec may have a significant snowfall. At this time, the heaviest snow, in excess of 20cm (8 inches), will likely fall across the Townships, areas near the US border and in New England. Winter storm watches are already in effect across upstate New York and most of New England.

Snow will arrive in Montreal early Thursday and persist into Friday. I am thinking a general 10cm is likely for Montreal, but that is subject to change. Look for updates throughout the week as the picture becomes clearer regarding this storm.