Tornado near Rigaud - heavy rain, strong winds in Montreal

A video capture of the tornado near Rigaud, Quebec Monday afternoon. The storm did significant damage to at least 4 homes and a silo. Power was also knocked out across the region that borders the Ontario border along Highway 40.
(Credit: Peter Dunn) 

The team from the Northern Tornadoes Project out of Western University in London, Ontario will be on the ground today near Rigaud, Quebec 70km west of Montreal, to confirm and rate yesterday afternoons tornado. Social media posts and eyewitness accounts show a tornado on the ground just west of Riguad around 5:30pm. 

The storm did considerable damage to 4 residence as well as a farm and silo. Thankfully no injuries were reported by the Rigaud Fire Department and the SQ. The tornado snapped trees and cut power to over 5000 Hydro-Quebec customers in the 40/417 corridor along the Ontario/Quebec border. Other communities impacted included Pointe-Fortune and Très-Saint-Rédempteur. This was the first confirmed tornado of the year in Quebec.

The tornado was part of an active weather day across eastern Ontario and far western Quebec, with several rounds of strong thunderstorms moving from south to north. The storms prompted numerous weather warnings, including several for tornadoes. Montreal was spared the strongest of the storms, but we did have several hours of heavy rain Monday evening, depositing a quick 20-30mm of precipitation across the island. Heavy rain also fell across the Laurentians, with 43mm at Saint-Jovite and 56mm at Mont-Tremblant.

Strong southeast winds of up to 80km/h occurred most of the day in the St. Lawrence Valley, creating havoc for Hydro-Quebec, as vegetation came in contact with power lines and transformers. Nearly 40,000 customers were without power, many in the Montreal region. As of 8:00AM Tuesday morning, the number was down to just over 8800.

The same storm responsible for Monday's severe weather will drag a cold front across southern Quebec Tuesday afternoon. Another round of showers and thunderstorms is expected, along with gusty southwest winds 30-50km/h. At this time, severe weather is not expected, but some of the thunderstorms could have small hail and heavy rain. Conditions will remain warm and muggy Tuesday, becoming less humid and cooler on Wednesday.

Unsettled weather week for Montreal - strong thunderstorms possible Monday

Unsettled weather is expected to end the month of May in Montreal. We can expect showers and thunderstorms through mid week, with a few sunny breaks at times. Temperatures will be warm to start the week but cool off behind the storm system. 

We have an unsettled and at times stormy weather week ahead for southern Quebec. Strengthening low pressure will slowly move across the central Great Lakes and into far western Quebec over the next 24 hours. The low will then move across central Quebec most of the upcoming week before lifting into the north Atlantic.

The system will drag a warm front into the St. Lawrence Valley on Monday, accompanied by a warm and humid airmass and gusty southeast winds up to 60km/h. Temperatures will rise into the low 20s Monday, capped somewhat by clouds and precipitation. Some showers and thunderstorms are likely early Monday morning, followed by another round late in the day. The afternoon storms may be strong, with heavy rain and gusty winds possible. 

There is even the chance for some small hail along the Quebec/Ontario border, and some indications that a few of the storms may even develop rotation. If you have outdoor plans, pay close attention to the latest forecast and any watches or warnings that may be issued.

The balance of the week will remain unsettled, with showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday. Cooler temperatures will return as well for Wednesday and Thursday, before we clear out an warm up into next weekend.

Hot humid summery day for Montreal - powerful Iowa tornado

Strong thunderstorms across eastern Ontario began to weaken before reaching Ile Perrot and Montreal. They still managed to produce this spectacular gust front around 7pm, along with winds over 70km/h and 10mm of rain in just a few minutes (ValleyWeather Photo).

Summer weather has streamed into southern Quebec and eastern Ontario over the last 36 hours, along with elevated heat and humidity and scattered strong thunderstorms. The temperature on Tuesday climbed into the high 20s close to 30C for many parts of the region. This was followed by a strong cluster of thunderstorms that pushed across eastern Ontario. 

The storms produced a spectacular shelf cloud along the leading edge as it moved across Montreal during the supper hour, as well as a wind gusts over 70km/h at Trudeau Airport and around 10mm of rain on Ile Perrot. As the storms moved southeast of Montreal around 7pm, a rainbow appeared across the eastern sky, the calm after the storm.

We can expect similar weather on Wednesday, as partial sunshine will push high temperatures close to 30C (86F) in Montreal. Along with the humidity, temperatures will feel close to 37C. More thunderstorms are expected to develop this evening until around midnight. Some may be on the strong side once again.

Cooler, drier air will return on Thursday, with temperatures and humidity levels lowering. There will be a risk of some early morning showers in the Montreal region.

Heartbreaking damage from the small town of Greenfield, Iowa, which was nearly wiped off the map late Tuesday afternoon after a powerful tornado hit. It was one of nearly 815 tornadoes that have been reported already in 2024. (Photo: Chris Juhn via Fox Weather)

IOWA TORNADO

This has been a devastating tornado season stateside, with several long-lasting, wide and powerful tornadoes occurring already. Tuesday was no different, as the target this time was the central plains into the midwest. A strong tondo tore through the small community of Greenfield, Iowa, destroying the town, leveling homes to their foundations, tossing cars around, injuring and killing several residents. 

The storm has yet to be rated by the National Weather Service, but the damage looks eerily like that associated with an EF-5 storm. The Enhance Fujita Scale (EF) ranges from EF-0 to EF-5. An EF-5 tornado is capable of winds in excess of 200 mph (323 km/h). While there have been many storms that have come close to that rating over the last 10 years, there has not been an EF-5 tornado since the Moore, Oklahoma storm on May 20, 2013.

There has officially been only one EF-5 tornado observed in Canada, at Elie, Manitoba on June 22, 2007.

First summer warmth of the year for Montreal

Warmer, summer-like temperatures are expected for the long holiday weekend across southern Ontario and Quebec. Enjoy! 

It has certainly been a chilly April and May to date, with temperatures stuck in the low to middle teens most days. While not unpleasant, many have been waiting for shorts and sandals weather to arrive, and it is here just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend.

The temperature reached 25.6C (78F) in Montreal on Thursday afternoon, the warmest so far in 2024. A weak frontal boundary will lift across the region on Friday, and we are already seeing some south to north moving showers and isolated thunderstorms across eastern Ontario this morning. That threat remains with us most of the day, but any precipitation will be widely scattered in nature.

Late this evening through midnight, another weak boundary will slide across the region, with an increased threat of showers and perhaps a thunderstorm for southern Quebec. Temperatures will remain very mild, 24C (75F) Friday, with a low into early Saturday morning of 15C (60F).

Skies will clear out Saturday morning as a ridge of high pressure moves into the region. Warmer temperatures will develop, along with light winds. Highs will be near 27C (80F), Saturday and Sunday. By Monday southerly winds will develop, with and increase in temperatures and humidity. Expect summer-like highs in the upper 20s, along with humidex values climbing into the low 30s.

By Wednesday of next week, we will see a frontal system and low pressure arrive from central Canada, along with showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will drop to more seasonable levels.

Of note, with the warmer weather arriving, many will be enjoying the parks and waterways around the region. Keep in mind that water temperatures are still very cold, and hypothermia can occur quickly.

The Northern Lights were just spectacular in Montreal

The Aurora Borealis as seen from by back deck on Île-Perrot late Friday evening. The Solar Storm that slammed into the Earth's atmosphere on Friday, May 10 produced a spectacular display of the Northern Lights across Canada, Europe and deep into the southern US. (Valley Weather Photo)

As predicted the solar storm that reached the Earth's atmosphere on Friday evening was simply spectacular. The energy from the coronal mass ejection that started Wednesday, interacted with our atmosphere, generating vibrant and vivid northern lights around the world and particularly here across North America. The G5 solar storm did not disappoint, providing many with a celestial show they will never forget. Photos shared on social media from across Canada and as far south as the Gulf of Mexico were breathtaking.

Here in Canada, we were seeing the Aurora directly overhead across the entire sky as opposed to just the horizon, in hues of green, and purple. If you were fortunate enough to get away from the city lights, the skies came alive, dancing in vivid colours.

Mother Nature was still putting on a show on Île-Perrot during the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning. 

Even on Île-Perrot and across the Island of Montreal, the colours were amazing, although a touch faint due to the abundance of light pollution. I was able to snap several photos with my iPhone from my back deck. It was quite the event, thankfully only a few clouds dotted the sky in Montreal. When I walked my pup very early Saturday morning, Mother Nature was still putting on the show, hours after the peak had supposedly passed.

This particular solar storm reached unusually far south, treating many to the Aurora Borealis for the first time in their lives. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center rated the storm Friday evening as a G5, the impact scale is from 1, lowest to 5 strongest. This was the first G5 in over 20 years. The agency had issued a Solar Storm Watch as early as last Wednesday. 

According to NOAA, we are in a period of elevated solar activity, and more storms are possible. As the energy from this solar storm diminishes early this week, conditions will  become less favourable for viewing the northern lights, and will become confined to more to traditional locations across the far north and high latitudes.

Geomagnetic storm expected to produce vibrant display of northern lights

A geomagnetic storm arriving Friday evening is expected to produce vibrant northern lights, which will be visible across most of Canada and as far south as Alabama and California.

A powerful geomagnetic storm is set to strike Earth's atmosphere on Friday evening, potentially disrupting power grids and radio communications as well as producing vibrant northern lights (Aurora Borealis) across most of Canada and as far south as Alabama and California.

According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, several solar flares and coronal mass ejections have been occurring over the last 72 hours. That energy is set to strike the Earth as one large storm Friday evening into Saturday morning. Geomagnetic Storms are measured on a scale of G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). The current storm is expected to be at G4 level, prompting a geomagnetic storm watch, the first to be issued in 20 years.

An image of the sun showing the collection of solar flares and mass ejections sending energy hurling through space towards the Earth's surface. (SWPC)

The current timing has the energy arriving between 11PM Friday evening and 2AM Saturday morning here in southern Quebec. The charged particles (electrons) generated by the sun, mix with oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, the reaction often producing spectacular bursts of colour known as the northern lights.

The incoming storm has been described as rare by NOAA, with comparisons to a January 2005 storm and the Halloween storm of 2003 that damaged several power grids in Sweden and South Africa.

Geomagnetic storms have been known to cause disruptions to power grids, radio communications and GPS systems. A large solar storm on March 13, 1989 knocked out power to the entire province of Quebec for several hours.

Full information on solar storms can be found on the Space Weather Prediction Center website.

Unsettled spring weather continues in Montreal

Menacing clouds have been a part of just about everyday this spring, as Montreal has received highly variable weather. Thanks to a fast moving zonal flow across the country, no weather system has hung around for too long. This pattern is expected to persist into next week, with most days having a least a chance for shower or two and perhaps even a rumble of thunder.

Warm weather seems to be struggling to take hold this spring in Montreal. While it has not been cold, it certainly has not been warm either. We seem stuck in a very similar zonal pattern with cool rainy days occurring just about every other day.

On Wednesday, the high of 13.8C (56F) was reached shortly after midnight, with the mercury settling in around a chilly 10C (50F(, along with gusty northeast winds and rain. This, after Monday and Tuesday's highs in the low 20s. This patter looks to persist for the rest of May. The very warm, muggy air remains across the southern and central US.

We will end the week with partly sunny skies that will persist into the Mother's Day weekend. There will be an ever present, though slight risk of showers each day into next week. Temperatures will try to reach the normal high of 18C (65F), with lows of 7 to 10C (45-50F) expected.

The good news is that our fire season here in Quebec is off to a much more manageable pace than last season. There are currently no active fires burning in the province, with 70 to date reported by SOPFEU. The 10-year average is 89. Rain and snowfall in April and May has been above normal for many parts of Quebec, including here in the Montreal region. In April, 142mm fell at Trudeau Airport, that is nearly double the normal.

So far in May, 27mm has been reported, with more shower activity likely next week. While it may be a nuisance for those looking for sunny, dry weather, the rain at this time of the year is most welcome.

Another round of pre-dawn thunderstorms for Montreal

Thunderstorms moving away from Montreal towards the northeast early Tuesday morning. Despite the cooler temperatures at the surface, warm unstable air moving in from the south has generated numerous storms this week in the St. Lawrence Valley. (Valley Weather Photo)

I was dodging lightning strikes for the third time this week in Montreal while walking my pup during the pre-dawn hours Thursday morning. Another round of storms swept across the region, accompanied by frequent lighting and brief, but heavy rainfall. 

The scenario has been much the same all week here in the St. Lawrence Valley, a warm front lifting into the region, while cool northeast winds supply colder temperatures at the surface. The instability has resulted in the storms firing up, as they did Sunday and Tuesday mornings. Thunderstorms are not that uncommon in late April, but the timing of the storms is a little unusual.

While very warm air has surged into parts of New York State and southwestern Ontario, temperatures have remained quite cool here in Montreal.

Radar image of southern Quebec showing clusters of storms sweeping across the Montréal region during the pre-dawn hours Thursday morning. Nocturnal storms are not all that common in Montreal in the spring, yet this is the third time this week.

The heavy rainfall the has fallen this week, added to an already impressive total for April. The month ended with 142mm of rainfall at Trudeau Airport, well-above the normal value of  82mm. Add to that 26cm of snow, which is double the normal, and it was definitely a wet month.

As we move forward this week, skies should clear out for Friday, with milder high temperatures close to 20C (68F). The weekend looks a little unsettled again, as warmer air will try to take a run at the region. Expect some shower activity, with perhaps a rumble or two of thunder. Next week, much the same, warmer, more humid and more thunderstorms.

Perhaps we are getting an early preview of what the summer of 2024 might look like. Time will tell.