Strong winds, colder temperatures follow messy mix

Crews were busy Monday morning clearing away the 10 to 15cm of slush that accumulated overnight in Montreal. Freezing rain has left a glaze across most parking lots, but warmer temperatures on Monday should melt most of what fell. The mess will all freeze up tonight as the temperatures drops down to -6C by Tuesday morning. (ValleyWeather Photo)

I must admit that was one robust warm front, easily over performing in the moisture department. Snow started in Montreal around 8pm Sunday evening and changed over to freezing rain at about 5am. In that time, a decent 10 to 15cm of snow fell across the region, with close to 12cm at my home on Île Perrot. I really felt snow amounts would be much lower, but the cold air stubbornly remained in place, as it often does in the St. Lawrence Valley.

Plows are out this morning, but that has not stopped the usual rash of vehicles hitting the ditch or bouncing off the walls. Clean off your car and slow down, you will be fine. 

Temperatures are now above the freezing point across most of metro Montreal, with rain falling. However there are still a few pockets of freezing rain in Laval and northeast Montreal. A mix of snow and freezing rain will persist for several more hours across the Laurentians. Freezing rain warnings remain in effect. The biggest threat in Montreal for the next few hours will be slush and standing water on the highways.

Strong low pressure will move across Quebec and into Labrador by Tuesday, dragging a potent cold front across the region by late afternoon. Winds will become quite strong in advance of the front, with gusts from 40 to 70km/h possible. Temperatures will be very mild today across southern Quebec reaching 7C (45F) in Montreal, and all the way up to 12C (54F) in the Townships. Needless to say there will be plenty of melting today.

What is left of the sloppy mess will freeze up tonight as the aforementioned cold front arrives. The temperature will fall rapidly below freezing late this evening in Montreal, all the way down to -6C (21F) by Tuesday morning.

Tuesday will feature clearing skies but cold temperatures along with gusty northwest winds and a high will be -5C (23F).