Freezing rain to start the New Year in Montreal

Tuesday was a perfect day for a holiday stroll along the waterfront in Verdun. Temperatures were relatively mild for late December at -3C, along with very light snow falling. (ValleyWeather Photo)

A special weather statement has been posted for southern Quebec for a messy mix of snow, freezing rain and rain on Saturday. The storm will be followed by windy, frigid weather on Sunday.

We can expect a stormy start to the New Year in Montreal, as a messy weather system heads our way. The weather has been rather mundane this holiday season, with moderate temperatures and fairly light precipitation. The real weather story has been across western Canada, where an arctic outbreak has resulted in temperatures in the minus 30s and 40s, with windchill values in the minus 50s at times. The intense cold has pushed snow onto Vancouver Island and south into Seattle and Portland. Dozens of record-low temperatures have been established, including -42.1C at Edmonton, with a windchill of -55C.

Some of that cold will make into southern Quebec by late Sunday, but before then, we have another sloppy winter storm. Low pressure is expected to move from the southern plains into the Great Lakes, passing near Montreal Saturday night. Precipitation is expected to begin Saturday morning, with perhaps a few hours of freezing rain. The temperature is expected to eventually rise above freezing to 3C (38C) in Montreal by the afternoon New Years Day, with rain being the main precipitation. Snow and freezing rain will persist north of the city. An arctic boundary will move across the region late Saturday into the overnight hours, accompanied by a surge of cold air. Any precipitation will change back to snow and end on Sunday.

The temperature will drop all day Sunday in Montreal, down to -20C (-4F) by Monday morning. Monday will be fair but breezy and cold, with a high of -12C (10F).

The various computer models are having a difficult time nailing down the exact track of the storm. That will have a tremendous impact on the quantity and type of precipitation for Montreal. At this time, we can expect 15-20mm of mixed precipitation, falling in various forms. I will provide an update with more specific details and any weather warnings that might be issued as the forecast develops.

In the meantime, expect fairly docile weather today and New Years Eve, with just some light snow or freezing drizzle. Travel conditions will deteriorate in Saturday as the day progresses.