The second warmest day on record for Montreal: 36.6C

A spectacular sunrise taken along the St. Lawrence River in Verdun on what would be the second hottest day in the history of Montreal. The temperature registered 36.6C at Trudeau Airport. It was even warmer, reaching 38C (100F) in other parts of the city. Daily weather recording dates back to 1880 in Montreal. Photo Debbie Ludgate-Biffin

Searing heat surged into southern Quebec on Wednesday, producing the warmest May day on record for the city and falling just shy of the all-time record high. The official high at Trudeau Airport was 36.6C (97.8F), crushing the previous daily high of 31.7C (89F) set in 2016 and the monthly May record of 34.7 (94.5F), set in 2010. The warmest day ever in Montreal occurred during the historic heatwave of 1975, with a temperature of 37.6C (99.6F) on August 1st.

The city of Montreal has opened some play fountains in select parks as well as cooling centres at several locations. A map of the locations can be found on the City of Montreal website HERE.

There were several parts of metro Montreal, including Beaconsfield, western Laval, the downtown core and Ile Perrot that hit the 100F mark, (38C). This was a truly remarkable weather event given the cold spring southern Quebec has experienced. The weather remains dry as well, with just a few scattered thunderstorms occurring in the Montreal region, mostly south of the city and across the Laurentians.  As the month draws to a close, we remain well below normal in the rain department, with just 26.4mm falling. An outdoor burn ban remains in effect and should be strictly followed until we receive some rainfall.

Montreal can expect another hot day Thursday, with a forecast high of 31C (88F). The record for today's date is 31C established in 1911 and again in 1978, so we have a legitimate shot at it.

A few showers and thunderstorms are expected tonight as the remains of Tropical Storm Bertha move into the Ohio Valley. I think most of the precipitation will remain west of Montreal. A better chance for showers and storms will be Friday afternoon as a cold front crosses southern Quebec. Some of the storms will be strong, with gusty winds, small hail and torrential downpours. The weather will remain hot and muggy Friday, with a daytime high of 29C (85F).

On Saturday, much colder air will filter into the region on gusty northwest winds. The weather will be cloudy and showery, with a high of only 18C (65F).

Hot and humid week ahead for Montreal with thunderstorms

The first heatwave of the season will see temperatures rise into the lower 30s in Montreal this week, with humidex values near 40C. Cooler weather and thunderstorms arrive by Friday.

Heat Warning in effect for southern Quebec and eastern Ontario

A very warm and humid airmass will surge into southern Quebec Tuesday, setting the stage for the first heatwave of 2020. A heatwave is defined as three consecutive days with the temperature at 30C or higher. The forecast high for Tuesday is 32C (90F), Wednesday 34C (94F) and Thursday, 31C (88F). The heat combined with high humidity levels will produce humidex readings close to 40C. Drink plenty of fluids, wear sunscreen and seek out cooler locations, especially during the afternoon hours.

While Tuesday's record maximum temperature of 34.7C set in 2010 seems out of reach for Montreal, we have a shot both Wednesday, (30.4C set in 1978), and Thursday (31C also set in 1978).

There is a chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms each of the three next days during the late afternoon and evening hours. A better chance for thunderstorms and heavy downpours is expected by Friday as a cold front arrives. The weekend is expected to be sunny and cooler with lower humidity.

It certainly has been a bizarre weather month across southern Quebec. We will likely end the month in Montreal, with both record highs and lows, widespread frost on multiple consecutive nights, snowfall and our first heatwave. All this weather against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic is just bizarre.

OUTDOOR BURN BAN CONTINUES
A reminder, the hot weather is not helping the fire situation at all in Quebec. There are currently 14 active forest fires in the province, with 333 fires reported so far this year according to SOPFEU. The 10 year average to date should be 162 fires. Conditions remain dangerously dry, and a burn ban remains in effect for all of southern Quebec. Despite the ban, I noticed several residents in my neighbourhood having open fires in their backyards this past weekend. Fires can spread very quickly at this time, with little in the way of rainfall observed over the last 10 days. Do your part and avoid outdoor burning all together, and watch those cigarettes. Stay cool and stay safe!

Long stretch of near-perfect Spring weather ahead for Montreal

Montreal and southern Quebec are finally enjoying some much needed Spring weather.

As the Quebec government begins to loosen some of the Covid-19 restrictions for parks, golf courses and marinas, the weather has finally decided to come along for the ride. We certainly deserve the beautiful late spring weather that is expected this week for southern Quebec. Strong high pressure anchored over eastern Canada will produce a long stretch of near-perfect weather. The daytime hours will feature abundant sunshine, light winds and warm temperatures, into the middle to upper 20s (75 to 80F). Nights will be clear and seasonably chilly, with lows between 9C and 13C (48-55F).

This stretch of calm weather will persist well into the upcoming weekend, with the the next chance for any precipitation in Montreal not likely until Tuesday at the earliest. The last precipitation in Montreal occurred last Friday when 20mm of rain fell. Overall the month has been drier than normal, with only 26mm of rainfall and a trace of snow measured at Trudeau Airport. The average rainfall for May is 81.2mm.

In stark contrast to the dreary start to May, the next week or so is expected to be sunny and very summer-like in Montreal. That was not the case when the photo above was taken on the morning of Friday, May 8. It shows the large and very dirty snow dump in Ville Saint-Laurent, under a dusting of unseasonable snowfall. (ValleyWeather Photo)

While southern Quebec and Ontario are benefiting from the strong high pressure, other regions have not been so lucky. A potent upper level low pressure system has been forced southward in response to the high pressure, creating a prolonged period of rain and gusty winds across the middle Atlantic states. Several states have reported heavy rain, thunderstorms and flash flooding. Strong winds in many coastal regions have exceeded 70km/h prompting high surf advisories. The weather has been colder in portions of New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland than here in Montreal.

Tropical Storm Arthur
Over the weekend, the first tropical system of the Atlantic Hurricane season formed east of Florida. Tropical Storm Arthur moved northeast clipping the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Arthur was about 30km east of Cape Hatteras on his closest approach to the US mainland midday Monday. Coastal North Carolina reported gusty winds and heavy surf, but little damage. Arthur has since lost its tropical characteristics well northeast of Bermuda. Arthur was an early storm, as the Atlantic Hurricane season only begins June 1st.

Historic cold snap slowly coming to an end

The seasons were in turmoil this past weekend across parts of Canada. Historic cold and snow occurred from Ontario into Atlantic Canada, with record warmth surging into portions of B.C.

If you thought it was stupid cold for May in Montreal, you would be right. The current cold snap is breaking records dating back over 100 years. Montreal has had a week of brutally cold weather for early May. Over the last week we have tied or broke low temperature records dating back to the turn of the last century. On Tuesday morning, the overnight low of -0.1C (31.8F) in Montreal broke the record of 0.8C set in 2005, and was the coldest low for the date since 1902. On Saturday morning, the low reached 0.0C (32F), matching a 113 year old record for the coldest May 9th, established in 1907. Montreal has been under a frost advisory since last Thursday morning, and it remains in effect through Wednesday morning, with forecast lows expected below freezing at -1C (30F).

The daytime hours have been no better, with limited sunshine and gusty northwest winds. Highs have struggled to say the least, remaining in the single digits, well below the normal of 19C (66F). We also had flurries on both Friday and Saturday. Winds speeds in the 30 to 50km/h range have produced windchills well below freezing.

The May snowstorm caught many motorists by surprise over the weekend. Between 15 and 30cm of snow fell across far eastern Quebec, New Brunswick (shown above) and northern New England. (Photo @VictoriaStar)

We have not been alone in this historic cold snap. Most of eastern North America has been shivering, with widespread records established. A strong storm produced heavy wet snow across New England this past weekend. The same system dumped over 30cm on sections of New Brunswick, including Woodstock where 33cm fell. In Toronto snow fell on four consecutive days, including 2.8cm Monday, bringing the monthly May total to 3.2cm. By contrast only 6.6cm fell in March and 0.4cm in April. Across Ontario, 17 new record lows occurred Monday, including -2.7C at Welland, breaking a 135 year old record of -2.2C set in 1885.

Manitoba had 14 record lows and Saskatchewan 9. Other provinces are still tallying up the new records. Meanwhile in stark contrast, temperatures were in the middle 20s to low 30s across interior B.C. where 18 record highs occurred on Sunday.

There is relief in sight for eastern Canada. After a couple of more cold mornings, temperatures will begin to moderate into the weekend. Montreal can expect temperatures approaching highs of 20C (68F) by Saturday. As we look ahead to the end of May, a swing in our fortunes is on the horizon. Several weather models are indicating above normal temperatures for southern Quebec heading from late May into June. Time will tell.

Record breaking cold to surge into southern Quebec

A little hope in the storm: an absolutely spectacular rainbow taken by a member of the Quebec Vortex team and posted on their Facebook page. The photo was taken after thunderstorms Sunday afternoon, near Varennes, Quebec. (Quebec Vortex)

Frost Advisory in effect for southern Quebec

Spring has been rather cold across most of eastern Canada, with little change expected for our immediate future. This past Sunday was the warmest day of the year so far, with an official high of 20.9C (69F) at Trudeau Airport. The brief warmth came after a very cold April in the city. The average temperature for the month was 5.1C well below the normal of 6.4C. Accompanying the cold has been plenty of cloud cover and gusty winds.

The sunny, warm weekend came to an abrupt end late Sunday, as a strong cold front swept across the region. The front was accompanied by strong winds and some very intense thunderstorms, especially northeast of Montreal.

The warm weather quickly became a memory as temperatures dropped to a high of only 11C (52F) on Monday. More very cold weather is on the way, as a surge of arctic air is expected into the upcoming weekend. Skies should clear out Tuesday evening in Montreal, setting the stage for frost. A frost advisory is in effect, with lows forecast at or slightly below freezing. The reality is that we may have frost on each of the next several mornings, right into the upcoming weekend.

Adding to the miserable cold weather heading into the Mother's Day weekend, will be a deepening upper level low. The system will slide across the Great Lakes and into the region Friday and Saturday. Expect plenty of cloud cover, gusty winds and near-record cold temperatures. There is even the risk of some light snow or flurries late Friday night into early Saturday morning.

Snow is May is unusual for Montreal, but not out of the question. Looking back briefly, snow fell in May as recently as 2017, with a trace measured. The biggest May snowstorm on record for Montreal occurred on 9th of the month in 1963, when 21.8cm fell.

As far as temperatures are concerned, the coldest May reading for Montreal was -4.4C (24F), set on May 2 in 1974. We have an outside shot at beating that record this upcoming weekend.