Prolonged period of dry weather lowers water levels in the Montreal region

The Ottawa River at Ile Perrot is beginning to recede after moderate flooding in the region. (Valley Weather Photo)

Like a gift from Mother Nature, strong high pressure has dominated the Montreal region for nearly a week now, keeping any wet weather at bay. The only exception was a few sprinkles early Friday morning along a frontal boundary that resulted in only a trace of rainfall. The total this month at Trudeau Airport stands at 26.2mm, all of it falling in the first two days of the month.

As a result, water levels have lowered considerably along the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. Flooding has eased in most municipalities, allowing for roads to be reopened. Volunteers and sandbags remain ready in case the situation worsens, but right now, the forecast is on our side. The upcoming weekend into Monday will be fair and warm. A couple of millimeters of rain is possible late Tuesday along another frontal boundary, with perhaps a more significant system by next Friday. Neither is posing any concern at this time.

Flooding in Senneville and Pierrefonds resulted in the closure of several roads last week. They have since been reopened as water levels on Lake of Two Mountains have dropped. (Village of Senneville)

As of Saturday morning, Lake of Two Mountains at Pointe-Calumet was at 23.66 metres, down from over 24 metres, lowering from major flood stage to minor flood stage. The same is true at both Terrasse-Vaudreuil (23.57 metres) and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (23.60 metres). The St. Lawrence River at Notre-Dame-de-L'Ile-Perrot is also down, sitting at 22.31 metres. All levels are forecast to remain stable or slightly lower over the next 48 hours.

Sunshine, with temperatures close to 20C (68F) are expected all weekend. The nights will be chilly, dropping down to 6C (43F). Friday was one of the warmest days of the year to date, reaching 25.8C (79F) in Montreal.

A NOAA satellite image of high altitude smoke from Alberta wildfires drifting over Ontario, Quebec, New York and New England last Monday. (NOAA)

Flood to Fire

During this past week, we had several days of haze and high altitude smoke, generated by wildfires in Alberta. Northwest winds of 20-40km/h are expected Saturday, which should keep the skies blue and the air clear.

The risk for forest fires is back up in southern Quebec, as a result of the aforementioned dry weather. According to SOPFEU, southwestern Quebec remains under a very high to extreme fire risk, and any outdoor burning should be avoided. Check with your local municipality for any restrictions for burning. Industrial burning permits were suspended in the Montreal region and most of southern Quebec as of May 8, until further notice.