Up to 10cm of snow Wednesday for metro Montreal

The first snow of the season is forecast across southern Quebec and eastern Ontario tonight and Wednesday. Expect snow covered, icy roads for the morning commute on Wednesday. My suggestion is you work from home if you do not have your snow tires on. (ValleyWeather Photo)

Special Weather Statement for southern Quebec.

Winter Weather Advisory for upstate New York and Vermont

Snowfall Warning for the Eastern Townships and Beauce

If you do not have your snow tires on, my advice is that you work from home on Wednesday.

Today will be the calm before the storm, with sunshine and highs around 1C (34F). Clouds will begin to thicken up and lower this evening in response to two low pressure systems, one over the Great Lakes and a stronger developing storm along the east coast. The east coast storm will become the main system, moving northeast into coastal New England on Wednesday.

Marginally cold air will be pulled into the St. Lawrence Valley, cold enough for the first snowfall of the season. Snow should begin in Montreal before the Wednesday morning commute, with temperature right around freezing. Unfortunately it looks like the commute could be a mess, as steady snow is forecast with a few centimetres down by 8am. The snow will continue most of the day, with 5-10cm forecast across the Ottawa Valley, up to 10cm in Montreal, and 15 to 25cm for the Townships, and elevated locations along the US border.

The snow will taper off to flurries late in the day. Temperatures will be at or slightly above freezing on Wednesday in Montreal, dropping down to -1C overnight into Thursday morning. Thursday will be blustery and cold, with steady temperatures and scattered flurries.

Once this storm moves east into Atlantic Canada, a strong westerly flow of cool air will become established across the Great Lakes, producing heavy lake effect snow on Friday and into the weekend. Some locations in Ontario and western New York may be measuring snow in feet. For us, we will remain cloudy and chilly, with scattered flurries into Saturday.

Winter is here folks, the unprecedented warm weather at the start of the month is just a distant memory now. Hopefully many used that time to prepare for the snowy, colder weather.