Warm Thursday followed by chilly Thanksgiving weekend

The first frost of the season occurred on Monday, October 3 here on Ile Perrot, well ahead of the average date I've observed over the last ten years. (ValleyWeather Photo)

The first frost occurred this week on Ile Perrot, well ahead of the average date of the last few years, which fell either side of October 21st, and was actually October 29th last fall. Temperatures dropped to between 1C and 3C on several mornings this week in the Montreal region. The growing season does continue however, as freezing temperatures were confined to off-island locations. The temperature was much warmer on Thursday morning, as winds have turned out of the southwest setting us up for a spectacular day.

Thursday will be a good a day as you can expect in October in southern Quebec, with likely the warmest high temperatures until next spring. Expect sunshine through increasing clouds, with a high near 23C (73F). A strong cold front arrives early Friday, accompanied by showers, northwest winds and dropping temperatures. Highs will be reached early Friday, before dropping into the single digits and eventually a low of 1C (33F) by Saturday morning. The weekend will be chilly, with highs around 12C (54F), sunshine Saturday and some showers Sunday. Skies will clear for Thanksgiving Day, with a pleasant high of 13C (55F). 

The fall foliage is reaching near peak levels in the mountains north and south of Montreal, with the colours starting to increase here in the St. Lawrence Valley.

The weather next week looks rather mild, with temperatures swinging back above the normal high of 14C and low of 5C. High pressure will build into southern Quebec once again, with sunshine forecast through Wednesday.

The death toll in Florida from hurricane Ian has exceeded 125. The remains of Ian have been located off the mid-Atlantic coast all week, resulting in more coastal flooding and damage. (Orange County Fire & Rescue Photo)

Atlantic Hurricane Season

Communities continue to rebuild after the devastating impacts of hurricanes Fiona and Ian. In Canada, Prime Minster Trudeau has promised $300 million in relief to help struggling residents rebuild across eastern Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

In Florida, the death toll has surpassed 125 from hurricane Ian, with damage expected to soar to over 1 billion dollars. Five additional fatalities occurred in North Carolina. Fort Myers and the surrounding area experienced catastrophic damage from Ian on Wednesday, September 28. The category four storm made landfall along the Gulf Coast near Fort Myers. Infrastructure and homes have been leveled, and power remains out to over 250,000 residents in the sunshine state. In many areas, a complete rebuild will be necessary. Lee and Charlotte counties have been especially hard-hit, with many of the fatalities occurring on Sanibel Island and at Fort Myers Beach.

The remains of Ian have been spinning off the middle Atlantic coast all week, producing additional flooding and damage from New Jersey to North Carolina.