Freezing rain warning for southern Quebec

Cold northeast winds that have developed Tuesday afternoon in Montreal, are expected to keep temperatures below freezing into Thursday morning. As a result, a freezing rain warning has been posted for up to 5mm of ice accretion before temperatures warm above freezing sometime on Thursday.

Freezing rain warning in effect for southern Quebec for Wednesday night.

A cold front settling south of the St. Lawrence Valley Tuesday afternoon has allowed colder air to seep into the region. Montreal has dropped from 0C (32F) around noon down to -6C (21F) as of 4pm. That front will be the focus of some light snow tonight, with a dusting to as much as 5cm locally across the region. Expect chilly northeast winds to accompany the flurries.

On Wednesday, the frontal boundary will begin to lift back northward as a warm front, with the same cold air and northeast winds remaining in place at the surface here in Montreal. The result will be several hours of freezing rain in both the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valley. As much as 5mm of freezing rain is possible at this time, falling mainly during the overnight hours into Thursday morning. The Thursday morning commute will be icy across the region, including eastern Ontario, northern New York and Vermont.

The unsettled weather is expected to persist through the upcoming weekend, as several weak areas of low pressure traverse the aforementioned frontal boundary draped across the region. Much milder air has developed across a wide area of North America, but arctic high pressure remains well to our north. We will see a battle of temperatures here in Montreal through the weekend. As a result expect a messy mix of light wintry precipitation at times, ranging from snow and sleet to rain and freezing rain. Often these events can produce more dangerous and changeable road conditions than big storms.