Snow squalls some thunder expected Wednesday evening

Heavy wet snow and even a few rumbles of thunder occurred Saturday evening in Montreal, making for difficult driving conditions. A general 5-10cm fell across southwestern Quebec. (JKO Photo)

A potent cold front is expected to bring an abrupt end to a beautiful spring day in Montreal as it crosses the St. Lawrence Valley Wednesday evening.

The cold front will be accompanied by strong winds, up to 70km/h, as well as showers changing to flurries after 6pm or so. Some of the flurries may be quite heavy for a short duration, and for the second time in less than a week, be accompanied by thunder and lightning. Temperatures will fall dramatically from todays high of 7C (45F), down to a morning low of -8C (18F) by Thursday morning. There may be some slippery driving late this evening as wet surfaces freeze rapidly. Thursday will see skies slowly clear, but it will be blustery and unseasonably cold, with a high of only 0C (32F) and gusty northwest winds up to 50km/h.

Spring can be a dynamic season has we have already witnessed over the last few days in our region and across parts of North America. Temperature contrasts and associated weather can be some of the greatest and most extreme of any season. Last Saturdays storm system was a perfect example, with heavy wet snow falling across parts of Quebec and Ontario, along with embedded thunder and lighting for many, including here on Ile Perrot. The storm put down a quick 5-15cm across the region, quickly covering roads on what otherwise had been a mild day. The snow covered roads produced some spectacular accidents, especially off island.

The Rolling Fork, Mississippi tornado claimed at least 25 lives, producing complete destruction in several small commutes in the western portion of the state. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

This was the same storm system that produced the horrific Rolling Fork, Mississippi tornado on Friday night. The powerful EF-4 tornado travelled for nearly 100km, with a damage path over 1km wide. The storm was on the ground for 70 minutes, with estimated winds reaching over 270km/h. Several small Mississippi communities were levelled in the tornado, with at least 25 fatalities reported.