Another round of heavy rain for southern Quebec

A heavy rainfall warning is in effect for southern Quebec including the metro Montreal region. Rainfall amounts may exceed 75mm over the next week, adding to concerns for spring flooding, especially across the Ottawa River Valley from eastern Ontario into the West Island.

Heavy rainfall warning in effect for Montreal for 30-50mm through Monday morning.

More heavy rain is on the way to southern Quebec and Ontario this weekend, as a large upper level low takes up residence over the Great Lakes. This system will be strong, and slow moving, allowing showery, cool and dreary weather to persist in Montreal for most of the upcoming week.

We have a few breaks in the clouds early Saturday morning, along with mild temperatures in the middle teens in Montreal. Clouds will rapidly fill in as a warm front moves northeast into the St. Lawrence Valley this afternoon. Steady rain will develop by noon and continue into the evening hours before tapering off to showers. Temperatures will drop once the rain begins into the single digits and be slow to rise on Sunday, back up to 13C (55F).

Gusty winds will develop Sunday morning in the 30 to 50km/h range in Montreal, before more rain arrives Sunday afternoon. As the low slowly pinwheels across southern Quebec to start the work week, showers and cool weather will prevail into at least Thursday. In total, the Montreal region and more importantly the Ottawa River Valley could see up to 75mm (3 inches) of rainfall between today and Thursday. This is not good news for the Ottawa River that is already in flood stage. Municipalities close to the river, including here on Ile Perrot, have been preparing all week for the potential for flooding. 

Barriers, sandbags and pumps are at the ready to deal with any rising water. Montreal remains in Intervention Mode - Level 1.

The area gauges have been stable most of the week despite the 25mm of rain that fell since last Sunday. The next two weeks will be critical in determining the extent of spring flooding for our region.

On Saturday morning, the gauge at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue was steady at 23.68 metres, while the Terrasse-Vaudreuil gauge was rising slightly at 23.67 metres. Both are in minor flood stage at this time. Pointe Calumet on Lake of Two Mountains was down slightly to 23.75 metres.

Stay vigilant if you live near any body of water.

Heavy rain warning - risk of flooding for Montreal region

Minor flooding is already occurring along the shores of Lake of Two Mountains, including at Parc Esther Blondin in Vaudreuil-Dorion shown above. (Ledy Quintero)

 Rainfall warning in effect for Montreal. Flood watch is at Level 1 Intervention.

Steady rain is falling across southern Quebec early Sunday morning, not what we need at this time. I have measured 5mm here on Ile Perrot since 1AM. The flood risk remains elevated in the Montreal region and along the Ottawa River.

A rainfall warning has been issued for the metro Montreal region, with 25 to 40mm possible through Monday. The rain will only add to the elevated river levels across western Quebec, and especially along the Ottawa River.

The Montreal region, including Senneville on the western tip of the island (shown above), is now at the Intervention 1 level for flooding. Water levels are on the rise, and rain is forecast for much of the upcoming week. (Valley Weather Photo)

Flooding has already been observed in Riguad, spreading down river towards Lake of Two Mountains. Several municipalities including Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pierrefonds, Ile Bizard and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue have started sandbagging and installing pumps. Montreal remains at  Intervention Level 1 and has freed-up resources to deal with any potential impacts.

The upcoming week will be critical, with rain forecast both here and upstream across Eastern Ontario. At this time, officials do not believe the flooding will be as bad as 2017 or 2019, when parts of southwestern Quebec were devastated, and transportation routes greatly affected including the closure of the Galipeault Bridge.

As of Sunday morning, water levels were up, but stable across the region. Riguad was in moderate flood stage at 23.95 metres. Terrasse-Vaudreuil remained in minor flood stage at 23.76 metres, as did Pointe-Calumet at 23.85 metres. All gauges were up from early last week.

The forecast calls for water levels to remain elevated, with minor flooding for the week ahead. That may change if the heavy rainfall develops. The weather for the week looks unsettled and cool, with frequent showers.

The Montreal region has been put on alert for spring flooding

Water from Vaudreuil Bay inundating the shoreline in Terrasse Vaudreuil during severe flooding back in 2019. The area is under alert once again along with many other sections of Montreal for spring flooding. (Valley Weather File Photo)

Water levels are on the rise around the Island of Montreal, after a week of record-breaking warm weather and rapid snow melt. Just two weeks ago, ice covered many of the rivers and lakes in eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec, now the ice is gone. The region has been put on alert for the potential for spring flooding over the next couple of weeks.

The gauge at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue locks Tuesday morning sits at 2.194 metres, within minor flood stage, but well below the record level of 3.33 metres set on May 7, 2017, Still, there are signs water is rising in the community and across neighbouring Ile Perrot and Terrasse-Vaudreuil, both hit hard by flooding in 2017 and again in 2019.

The same is true along Riviere-des-Prairies and Lake of Two Mountains, where several municipalities are already preparing for minor impacts this week. Water is slowly creeping onto the Ile Bizzard and Pierrefonds shorelines. The weather this week will be critical with more rain in the forecast. On Monday 12.8mm of rain fell, for a monthly total of 57.4mm. A few sprinkles are expected today, followed by a the potential for a significant storm this weekend. That storm could giver up to 25mm of rain to southwestern Quebec and eastern Ontario. The weather and the river levels will need to be monitored closely.

Further upstream along the Ottawa River, which was responsible for most of the record flooding in southern Quebec in 2017 and 2019, water levels have stabilized somewhat after rising rapidly last weekend. Rapid snowmelt also occurred last week, with temperatures soaring to 30C in parts of the Ottawa Valley. Ottawa has received 54.9 mm of precipitation so far this month. The gauge at Carillon is currently normal, at 23.77 metres, but slowly on the rise.

Vigilance and preparation are the key words for those living in the typical flood prone areas along the western edge of the Island of Montreal, Ile Perrot, Vaudreuil-Dorion and along the shorelines of both north shore rivers, Rivieres des Milles Iles and des Prairies.

From thick ice to record warmth in Montreal

You have to love the month of April in Montreal, ice and snow storms followed by record warmth, within a few days of each other. The contrast was evident in Senneville on Thursday as a mound of dirty snow melted rapidly on greening grass in 27C heat.

There is a saying in southern Quebec and across northern New England, if you don't like the weather, just wait a few minutes, it will change. No other month exemplifies that more than April. It is during this month that you can have an ice storm and record heat within a week of each other. We have plenty of past evidence in Montreal of April snowstorms occurring just days after the first 30 degree weather.

And so after our historic ice storm, as the last remaining power was being connected and debris cleaned up, Montreal reached 27.9C (82F) on Thursday, eclipsing the previous record of 26.7C (79F) set in 1945. That high was just a couple of degrees shy of the all-time April record of  30C (86F), set on April 27, 1990, and more warmth is on the way.

There are still tons of debris and shattered trees around southern Quebec from the ice storm on April 5. Municipalities continue the clean-up, but it will take time as thousands of trees were damaged.

The warm weather is with us for two more days, allowing for a spectacular early spring weekend. Look for abundant sunshine, with cool overnight lows around 8C (48F) and warm daytime highs under light northeast winds of 24C (76F). If Montreal hits 24C Saturday, it will be another record high. The temperature to beat is 23.3C (74F) set on this day in 1969.

Thursday's high in Montreal was part of dozens of new temperature records established across Ontario, Quebec and New England. Some locations in southern New England including Hartford, exceeded 35C (95F). Ottawa reached 30.2C (86F). Toronto has record highs on consecutive days, reaching 29.4C Thursday, followed by 26.9C Friday.

So enjoy the warm weather, but resist the urge to be near or in any body of water. The water is high, swift moving and frigid,  just a few degrees above the freezing point. Exposure to the water for just a few minutes would likely cause cold shock and hypothermia.

Moving forward we do see a return to more normal temperatures to start the work week. The normal high is only 11C (52F) for mid-April. Monday through Wednesday will feature much colder weather, into the single digits for highs and close to freezing for lows, along with showers and even a few flurries at times.

You have to love April, it is not for the faint of heart, enjoy and stay safe.

Ice Storm outages move into fifth day across metro Montreal

Hydro-Quebec employees and contractors, along with lineman from New Brunswick, have been working 24 hours a day since the Wednesday ice storm, cleaning debris and restoring power to more than 1.2 million customers. (Valley Weather)

I apologize for the lack of updates during this major ice storm, but I have had no power here on Ile Perrot since Wednesday at 12:57pm...SB

Fourteen hours of freezing rain have left us with millions of dollars in damages and two fatalities across southwestern Quebec. Power remains out to just over 151,000 Hydro-Quebec customers in the region. The utility has over 1500 workers on the job around the clock and plans to have at least 95 percent of clients back online by Sunday evening. The hardest hit area remains the West Island of Montreal where large sections remain in the dark since the storm last Wednesday.

While Hydro-Quebec has hundreds of employees on the job, the work has been slow, with thousands of individual breaks to repair, and debris to clear away. (Hydro-Quebec Photo)

Three fatalities have been reported so far, one in Les Cedres west of Montreal from a falling tree, and a second in Saint-Joseph-Du-Lac from carbon monoxide poisoning. Urgences Sante has responded to hundreds of calls for carbon monoxide poisoning, many from residents using generators too close to their dwellings or even worse, cooking indoors. A third person died in South Stormont in eastern Ontario after being crushed by a falling tree.

The freezing rain fell fast and furious last Wednesday, driven by 65km/h winds. A remarkable ice storm for the month of April. (T. Giotsalitis Photo) 

In eastern Ontario, nearly 200,000 were left without power from Ottawa to the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Nearly 40mm of freezing rain fell on Montreal in less than 14 hours last Wednesday into the early hours of Thursday morning. That amount set a 24 hour precipitation record for the date, the previous being 26.2mm set in 1957. It was also more freezing rain within a 24 hour period than during any similar period in the 1998 ice storm. The 1998 storm did have far more total precipitation, but it was spread out over 5 days. The weight of the ice and gusty northeast winds, at times in excess of 60km/h, had an immediate destructive impact on branches, power lines and poles.

Most municipalities responded by opening warming centres for their residents. Long lines formed at gas stations and any open restaurants.

Major disruptions also occurred for phone, cable and internet service across the metro Montreal region. Thankfully the sun came out on Saturday and the winds eased off from the 70km/h gusts reported on Friday. Easter Sunday will be mainly sunny, with a high of 9C (48F). By Thursday, the warmest air of the year arrives, with highs reaching 21C (70F). 

My power was out for almost 55 hours, and like many, we have had to dispose off all our food from our freezers. It amounts to quite a financial loss, one that will be experienced by many households. Other losses include exterior damage to buildings, cars and flooded basements due to sump pumps not working.

Major ice storm cuts power to over 1 million Quebec homes

Heavy freezing rain and wind have brought down thousands of trees, branches and in some case like above in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, power poles. The damage is extensive and will take days to repair. (ValleyWeather Photo)

The damage is extensive in the Montreal region and across the southwestern corner of the province after nearly 37mm of freezing rain fell Wednesday, accompanied by 60km/h winds and even thunderstorms. The end result is the worst damage to trees and power lines in the metro region since the 1998 Ice Storm.

Many trees fell onto homes and vehicles, and across roads like Boulevard Perrot on Ile Perrot shown above. (ValleyWeather Photo)

Hydro-Quebec has over 1000 employees at work repairing the damage, but it is extensive and quite serious in many neighbourhoods. It may take days for all the power to be restored. Help has arrived from New Brunswick Power. Hundreds of trees are down and in some cases, power poles have snapped in half. Cellular and internet service has been impacted as well. Power has been out at my home on Ile Perrot since 12:56 Wednesday. 

All schools in the Montreal region are closed Thursday. Long lines have formed at the few gas stations that remain open, especially in the west end. The same is true at any open restaurant. Morning coffee is at a premium! At one point Wednesday evening the Victoria Bridge to the south shore had to be closed for de-icing.

An eerie scene on my street in Notre-Dame-de-L'Ile Perrot late Wednesday evening. Tons of trees and branches are down in my neighbourhood, many onto homes and hydro lines.

The temperature is very slowly rising above the freezing mark Thursday morning, with a forecast high of 11C (52F) expected eventually today. That should help melt the ice and assist in repairs. Unfortunately strong southwest winds are expected to develop ahead a cold front today, gusting to 50km/h, which may exasperate the situation and slow the repair work. Also much colder temperatures are expected this evening for those who remain without power and heat into a second night. The low is expected to be -4C (24F) in Montreal, rising only to 2C (36F) on Friday. Warming centres have been opened in many municipalities.

The freezing rain has also affected portions of eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Valley, with widespread power outages and damage.

Much warmer weather is on the way for next week. Stay safe.

Major freezing rain event forecast for southern Quebec

Freezing rain is rare in April in Montreal, but significant amounts are forecast for Wednesday across southern Quebec.

Freezing rain warning posted for Montreal, southern Quebec and the Ottawa Valley.

It is rare to talk about ice storms in April. The angle of the sun and the warming of the ground usually help to alleviate any significant impacts from frozen precipitation. One thing that can overcome those factors is heavy falling precipitation. We have a situation setting up in the St. Lawrence Valley over the next 48 hours the could create as much as 15-25mm of freezing rain for some locations across southern Quebec.

Clouds are already on the increase Tuesday morning in advance of an elongated warm front stretching from a strong spring storm over Colorado. That low will lift into the western Great lakes, pushing abundant warm, moist air into southern Quebec. Meanwhile high pressure over central Quebec will maintain a cold northeast flow of air at the surface. The result will be a prolonged period of freezing rain on Wednesday, especially along and north of the St. Lawrence Valley.

A swath of significant freezing rain is forecast for Montreal and points north and west of the city on Wednesday. (Environment & Climate Change Canada)

Significant impacts from ice accretion are expected north of Montreal, with up to 25mm possible across the lower Laurentians and northern suburbs. Here in Montreal 10-20 mm is forecast at this time, with the most falling over Laval, and lesser amounts across the South Shore. Over the Eastern Townships and across the St. Lawrence Valley in Ontario, 5-10mm are forecast at this time. Expect difficult travel conditions and  possible power outages on Wednesday. Accompanying the precipitation will be gusty northeast winds up to 50km/h. 

Temperatures will be very mild Tuesday, up to 9C (48F). As northeast winds begin this evening, much colder air will filter into Montreal, with lows of -5C (23F) forecast. The mercury will struggle to reach the freezing point, 0C (32F) on Wednesday.

As the temperature warms above freezing late Wednesday, all precipitation will eventually change to rain. A significant amount of precipitation is expected across the entire region, with total liquid and ice reaching as much as 40mm by the time the storm ends early Thursday morning.

This system is having far reaching effects across eastern North America, including blizzard conditions west of the storm track across the Dakotas and Minnesota and severe thunderstorms south and east of the trailing cold front. As the cold front moves through Ontario and Quebec late Wednesday, a few rumbles of thunder will be possible.

Conditions will improve Thursday and into the long holiday weekend.