First snow of the season over the Great Lakes but none for Montreal

Heavy wet snow off the Great Lakes, blanketed parts of upper Michigan this week. The same weather system pushed frost and freezing temperatures all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico. Temperatures were chilly in Montreal, but nothing out of the ordinary, as the coldest air remained west of our region. (Photo Tony Greene via ABC News)

The first snowflakes of the season were in the air over northern portions of Ontario and especially around the Great Lakes on Tuesday, including Chicago, a stark reminder that winter weather is not far off. Heavy wet snow fell across portions of northern Michigan, with over 40cm at Ironwood. The snow created very poor travel conditions and weighed down tree branches onto power lines, knocking out power to thousands. Early snow also occurred in Illinois and northern Indiana.

The snow was part of a large upper level low spinning over the central portion of the lakes, while slowly moving southeast. A cold pool of air aloft was driven down to the surface, with frost and freeze conditions as far south as the Gulf Coast. The unseasonably cold air will be brief in nature as a warming trend is expected into the upcoming weekend. Accompanying the cold air was very gusty northerly winds, up to 90km/h at times off Lake Superior and Huron. The worst of the weather has remined west of Quebec, mainly in Ontario and the Midwest.

For the short-term however, cool, blustery weather will persist. Montreal remains on the edge of the coldest air, with temperatures expected around 10C (50F) for highs. Lows have been chilly, very close to the freezing point, with scattered frost observed. Clouds are on the increase early Wednesday morning as the cold, moist airmass moves over southern Quebec. Expect isolated showers through Thursday, along with a chilly northwest wind.

Some flurries are still possible, mainly over the Adirondacks of New York and perhaps the highest elevations of the Eastern Townships. The broad circulation of the same low has been drawing in deep moisture off the Atlantic Ocean into portions of eastern Quebec. Heavy rain has been reported, with 50 to 75mm (2-3 inches) reported in parts of the Saguenay and Charlevoix regions over the last 24 hours.

Once this system clears southern Quebec on Friday, high pressure will build in for the upcoming weekend, with sunshine and well above normal temperatures expected. Look for highs to rise into the upper teens in Montreal, with lows around 8C. The normal high/low for mid-October in Montreal, is 11C/2C.