Two more winter storms on the horizon for Montreal

Monday's quick hitting storm dumped up to 10cm of snow on Montreal in just a few hours. The snow iced roads and lowered visibility significantly during the evening commute, making for a long drive home for many. Similar conditions can be expected Thursday, with a quick 5-10cm of snow forecast for Montreal. A winter weather travel advisory has been posted for the region. (Valley Weather Photo)

A winter weather travel advisory has been issued once again for a wide swath of southern Quebec and Ontario, as well as adjacent areas of New York and New England. If you have any travel plans over the next 12 to 18 hours, especially along the busy 401 corridor, you may want to postpone them.

A fast moving area of low pressure will skirt form the Midwest across the Great Lakes and north of Montreal on Thursday. After a frigid morning in Montreal, as cold as -20C (-4F), temperatures are on the rise as clouds quickly stream in from the southwest. Snow should start late morning and could become heavy at times, in a situation very similar to Monday's storm. Accumulations will generally be in the 5-10cm range, with a risk of freezing drizzle, especially along the St. Lawrence River.

Temperatures will warm to -2C (28F) today, dropping to -5C (23F) tonight and remaining there on Friday. The snow today will taper to flurries tonight as winds increase out of the southwest up to 50km/h. A strong cold front overnight will back winds to the northwest at 40-60km/h along with some snow squalls. Another 2-4cm of fresh snow is possible along with blowing snow. Conditions will slowly improve on Friday, but winds will remain gusty.

This same storm has been producing significant freezing rain across the plains states and into the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes. Freezing rain is snarling traffic across southwestern Ontario on Thursday morning. There has even been thunder and lightning with the precipitation.

Saturday will be fair and cold as high pressure briefly builds into the region. The fair weather will be short-lived, as clouds quickly stream northward ahead of another winter storm expected to move across New England on Sunday. Depending on the final track of this system, we may be looking at another significant snowfall. At this time, 5cm is expected but that may change if the storm tracks closer to our region. Stay tuned!

Winter weather travel advisory in effect for Montreal

Shubenacadie Sam getting ready to deliver his forecast for six more weeks of winter weather, on this Groundhog Day 2025. (Nova Scotia Communications Photo)

A Winter Weather Travel Advisory is in effect for southern Quebec for 5 to 15cm of snow Monday afternoon and evening. Travel will be impacted as a result of snow covered roads and reduced visibility for the evening commute Monday across eastern Ontario, southern Quebec into northern New York. Dropping temperatures during the evening hours will likely result in very icy roads.

The various groundhogs were split in their forecast across Canada on Sunday, with Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, seeing his shadow and predicting 6 more weeks of winter. Meanwhile Wiarton Willie in Ontario did not see his shadow, predicting and early Spring. Here in Quebec, Fred la marmotte saw his shadow, sadly agreeing with Sam.

From what I am seeing this coming week and beyond in the weather models, I would lean towards Sam's prediction. We have a very active weather week ahead once again, with plenty of precipitation, as well as a roller coaster ride for temperatures.

After a frigid Sunday that featured morning lows as cold as -22C in Montreal, temperatures will moderate through the overnight hours and into Monday as a warm front lifts across the region. Highs on Monday will be very close to the freezing point, if not above for some locations. The front will produce some light snow Sunday night, with less than 5cm forecast. Late Monday our winter weather advisory goes into effect as a strong cold front brings moderate snow and gusty winds. Between 5 and 15cm is possible over southern Quebec into the early morning hours Tuesday.

At this time Tuesday and Wednesday look breezy and cold, but dry as arctic high pressure settles into Quebec. On Thursday, a stronger low pressure system will pass through the St. Lawrence Valley, with warming temperatures and mixed precipitation. Another 5 to 10cm of snow is possible. A stronger storm may take aim at the region next weekend, but there is still plenty of uncertainty with the forecast track. Stay tuned!

Either way, winter will persist for the foreseeable future across the Montreal region.

Groundhog Day snow forecast for Montreal

The 7 to 14cm of snow that fell Wednesday across southwestern Quebec created very dangerous driving conditions, especially when combined with northeast winds and frigid arctic air. There were long delays and numerous accidents reported during the morning commute in metro Montreal. (Valley Weather)

Regardless as to whether or not the Groundhog see's his shadow this Sunday, our active weather and in many case wintry weather pattern will persist. It was another frigid morning in Montreal on Thursday, with morning lows close to -20C (-4F). The 7-14cm of fresh snow that fell across southern Quebec on Wednesday, along with light winds, made for ideal radiational cooling overnight. Wednesday's snow created treacherous driving conditions for the commute, with another round of accidents and long delays in thick traffic reported across the Montreal region.

The weather remains chilly Thursday afternoon, with the temperature struggling to climb in Montreal as I write, with a current reading of -14C (7F). Clouds are already on the increase as our next system moves into Ontario. It is just one of many that will move quickly across the region over the next week, bringing us more snow and big fluctuations in temperature.

The clouds will produce light snow this evening and into the overnight, with only 2-4cm expected from the moisture starved Alberta clipper. Warmer air will arrive from the southwest, with the temperature rising overnight to a high of -5C (23F) Friday. Partly sunny skies are forecast for Friday into Saturday, along with dropping temperatures once again. The low into Saturday drops to -16C (4F), with a cold high of -12C (14F) on Saturday. 

Traffic crawls into Montreal from Ile Perrot on Wednesday morning.

We can expect another cold night into Sunday, with the low close to -20C in Montreal. Another storm system arrives on Groundhog Day Sunday, with more snow forecast. At this time another 5cm looks possible for Montreal. Temperatures will warm into Monday, likely going above freezing for a few hours, before another strong cold front arrives late in the day, with plummeting temperatures into Monday morning.

Precipitation, mostly snow, has fallen in Montreal on 26 of the 29 days so far this month. To date 37.5cm has officially fallen at Trudeau Airport, with well over 40cm in may other locations in southern Quebec during the moth of January. The recent cold temperatures has meant most of that has remained on the ground. As well, the cold temperatures have built up quite a bit of ice on area rivers. The ice road on the Ottawa River between Hudson and Oka officially opened last week, after failing to due so as a result of mild conditions in both 2023 and 2024. 

Another round of wind and snow on the way for Montreal

A much calmer start to the day early Tuesday morning on Ile Perrot, after snow squalls and fierce winds created dangerous travel conditions across the St. Lawrence Valley Monday afternoon and evening. The squalls hit the Montreal region around midnight putting down a quick 5cm or so of wind-driven snow. The Tuesday morning commute was slick and slow.

The active weather pattern currently in place will continue on Wednesday as another low pressure area skirts just to the south of Montreal, accompanied by snow and gusty winds. After a sunny, but very cold and windy day Tuesday behind our most recent storm, clouds will increase late in the day.

Light snow is forecast to develop overnight and persist into Wednesday. Accumulations should be in the 5-10cm range across most of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario, with 15cm locally. Much lighter but still gusty northeast winds of up to 30km/h will make for a rather raw day, as highs should be around -10C (14F) on Wednesday.

More snow is expected to end the week, with several more storm systems on the horizon.

Hydro-Quebec reported over 100,000 customers without power Monday night as temperatures plummeted behind an arctic front, down to -15C (5F) in Montreal Tuesday morning. (Hydro-Quebec) 

The windstorm that swept across the St. Lawrence Valley on Monday, produced gusts up to 100km/h across southern Quebec. A peak gust of 105km/h (65 mph) was recorded at Saint Hubert, with 96km/h (59.6 mph) at Trudeau Airport and 89km/h (55 mph) on Ile Perrot.

The strong winds were produced by an arctic cold front trailing from a powerful winter storm moving across northern Quebec. The central pressure of that storm was 965mb just east of James Bay, equivalent to that of a category two hurricane. Strong winds and snow squalls occurred over a large portion of the province as a result.

The strong winds were responsible for significant power outages, with over 108,000 Hydro-Quebec customers in the dark at the height of the storm. That number is down to under 6500 Tuesday afternoon. Across eastern Ontario, an additional 20,000 residents were without power. 

In Sainte-Barbe southwest of Montreal,  seven hydro poles were snapped in half. The same fate occurred near Iroquois in eastern Ontario. Several roads were closed as blowing and drifting snow made travel treacherous, with near-blizzard conditions reported off island Monday afternoon. There were multiple crashes including one that closed Highway 40 near Pointe-Fortune on the Ontario border. North to south rural routes were impacted the most, with both the SQ and OPP closing several highways into the evening hours.

The front moved through Montreal around midnight, dumping a quick 2 to 5cm of wind-driven snow, resulting in a slick and slow Tuesday morning commute.

High wind warning for Montreal with snow squalls possible

Red sky in morning usually means a strong front or storm is advancing from the west. Such is the case Monday morning in Montreal, as clouds are thickening up from the west in advance of a strong arctic front. That front will produce winds of up to 90km/h and snow squalls this afternoon and evening. Temperatures will drop quickly behind the front resulting in a cold and blustery Tuesday.

UPDATED 11:45AM

High Wind Warning remains in effect for Montreal for southwest winds 50-90km/h from late afternoon towards midnight.

A high wind warning is in effect for the St. Lawrence Valley of southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and New York State. Strong low pressure passing well north of our region will drag a strong arctic cold front through Montreal late this evening. In advance of the front, strong southwest winds are picking up this morning, already in the 30-50km/h range. The winds will continue to increase, reaching speeds of 50-90km/h, with gusts to 100km/h (60 MPH). The wind will ease overnight, backing to the northwest at speeds of 40-60km/h and persisting Tuesday.

Winds of this speed are capable of producing power outages as well as some damage. In addition to the strong winds, snow squalls may develop along the front from late afternoon towards midnight. The squalls will be capable of brief heavy snow, with reduced visibilities and near-blizzard conditions at times. Accumulations should be light, with less than 5cm expected for most locations.

Temperatures will start the day off mild, as warm as 0C (32F) for some locations, but fall rapidly behind the front, down to -10C (14F) by Tuesday morning, remaining steady on Tuesday. Another round of light snow is possible for Montreal on Wednesday.

The active weather pattern will continue all week and into the first few days of February, with several chances for snow and wind as well as highly changeable temperatures. Stay tuned!

Active weather week ahead for Montréal - snowy & windy

Saturday was crisp and cold across southern Quebec, with the coldest morning low observed in nearly two years. The temperatures dropped to between -20 and -25C across the region, with -20.7C at Trudeau Airport. We can expect more cold, snow and wind this week, with dangerous travel conditions at times.

Strong winds, snow and blowing snow, reduced visibility and dropping temperatures are forecast from late Monday into Tuesday morning across the region. Weather warnings may be needed.

The last week of January will be quite active across southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. Several clipper systems along with associated fronts will cross the region, each with snow, strong winds and dropping temperatures. Monday afternoons front will be strong, with wind gusts anticipated in the 40-70km/h range, with the potential to reach 100km/h (650 MPH) locally. Winds that strong are capable of producing power outages. In addition to the wind, we can expect a burst of moderate to heavy snow along the front, with as much as 5cm falling. Combined with the strong winds, some area outside the metro regions may experience near-blizzard conditions.

The blowing snow will make for very dangerous travel conditions on Monday afternoon and evening. The front is expected in the Montreal region during the late afternoon, and may coincide unfortunately with the evening commute.

The mild weather of Sunday and Monday, will be replaced by rapidly dropping temperatures behind the front, from highs of 0C to -3C (27-32F) down to -15C (5F) by Tuesday morning. The aforementioned strong winds will also produce brutal windchill values, down into the -20's on Tuesday.

Temperatures will remain cold through Friday, along with more wind and snow as several more clippers cross the region in a very fast moving zonal flow. Each front will be capable of producing snowfall and gusty winds. We are looking at a system Wednesday and another by Friday.

Weather warnings may be needed for the wind event on Monday afternoon, and a high wind watch is already in effect for the US side of the St. Lawrence Valley.

On Saturday morning, Montreal recorded our coldest overnight low in nearly two years, with the temperature dropping to -20.7C (-5.3F). It was the first -18C (sub zero F) low for the city since February 2023.

Historic Gulf Coast snowstorm

The Sunshine State? Walton County in the Florida Panhandle was just one of many regions hit by an historic snowstorm on Tuesday, that had snow falling along the Gulf Coast beaches. Some parts of Florida have more snow on the ground Wednesday morning than we have here in Montreal. (Walton County Sheriff Photo)

Many parts of the Interstate 10 corridor from Houston to the Florida Panhandle had more snow on Tuesday than any single storm that has affected Montreal this winter. The snow fell right down to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, including the barrier islands. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event, with snowfall records shattered  in several communities.

In Texas, 4 inches (10cm) of snow fell in Houston, closing every major highway in the city. In New Orleans, 8 inches (20cm) was measured, with snow on Canal Street and in the French Quarter. That crushed the record of 2.7 inches (6cm) set on December 31, 1963. It was the most snow in over 100 years for many Louisiana locations. The entire state was covered with snow right down to Grand Island on the Gulf. The snow spread east and north into Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Mobile, Alabama measured 7.5 inches (18cm) surpassing the 1985 record of  6 inches (15cm). Records date back to 1881 at that location. The sunshine state set an all-time record, with 9.8 inches (24.5cm) falling at Milton in the Panhandle. This broke the record of 4 inches (10cm), set back in 1954 at the same location. Snow blanketed the beaches from Pensacola to Panama City.

Record breaking snowfall at Orange Beach, Alabama right on the Gulf of Mexico. (Orange Beach Police Department Photo)

On Wednesday, the snow is spreading northeast into Georgia and the Carolinas. The entire region is being affected by arctic high pressure that has moved south into the Ohio Valley, taking the coldest of the arctic air into the Untied States. Meanwhile low pressure developed in the Gulf of Mexico, and move northeast into central Florida and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. The low was responsible for all the snow and ice.

The Gulf Coast storm will be followed by dangerously cold air across the deep south, which will begin to warm by the weekend. For now travel remains very dangerous, with snow covered and icy roads in places that do not have the equipment to deal with it.

For comparison, the biggest one-day snowfall in Montreal so far this winter was 7.8cm (3 inches) on December 8. Montreal still has not officially recorded a -18C (0F) or colder temperature at Trudeau Airport in nearly 2 years. Wednesday mornings low was the coldest of the winter to date, -17.7C.

The Arctic airmass moderated before arriving in Southern Quebec, the coldest temperature I recorded at my home was -19C (-2F) on Monday evening. Cloud cover and light southwest winds have actually maintained milder air in our region.

Sherbrooke overnight into Wednesday morning dropped to -27C, while other parts of Quebec were as cold as -40C. Temperatures will begin to slowly warm over the next few days in Montreal. After sunshine on Wednesday, several weak weather systems will bring some light snow into the weekend. No major storms are on the horizon for southern Quebec at this time.

Arctic air settles across eastern North America

A snowy scene in Senneville last week. Mild temperatures on Saturday dropped 3.2mm of rain on Montreal, melting away some of the snow that has accumulated this month. Officially, only 2cm of snow remain on the ground at Trudeau Airport. Many parts of the US have more snowfall this winter. (Valley Weather Photo)  

Skies have cleared out Monday morning across southern Quebec, with temperatures dropping close to -18C (0F) at many locations. Ottawa is down to -20C (-4F). Monday will be cold and blustery in Montreal, as a winter storm pulls into Atlantic Canada and arctic high pressure surges across the Great Lakes.

We can expect temperatures to remain pretty much where they are for highs today, perhaps -15C (5F). Tonight, depending on how much cloud cover moves into the St. Lawrence Valley from lake effect snow, we may drop as cold as -20C. The official forecast calls for a low of -17C (2F). Both Tuesday and Wednesday will be cold, with partly cloudy skies at times and perhaps a stray snow shower or two. Highs will range from -12C to -15C, with lows -17C to -21C. Gusty northwest winds, especially on Tuesday, will result in windchill values in the minus 20s. 

A clipper system will bring 1-3cm of snow late Wednesday, along with moderating temperatures.

Montreal is once again in the middle of a rather snowless winter, with officially only 2cm on the ground at Trudeau Airport. The seasonal total sits at 53.8cm. The last time Montreal had a 20cm snowfall was April 4, 2024, which was the largest storm last winter. The last time Montreal had a significant storm was December 3, 2023, when 21.8cm fell, with a two day total of 35.4cm.

Snow and freezing rain will spread across the deep southern US this week from Texas to North Carolina, including Florida. (AccuWeather Image)

Once in a generation Southern Snowstorm

The cold air will spread south all the way to the Gulf of Mexico early this week, while lo pressure develops in the Gulf and moves northeast. On Tuesday, snow and freezing rain will sweep across regions that have not had winter weather in decades. Forecasters are expecting a swath of 10-15cm (4-6 inches) of snow from Houston to New Orleans to Mobile northeast into Georgia and the Carolinas. A significant ice storm is also expected with 5-15mm if freezing rain possible across the Mississippi and Florida Gulf Coasts. This includes parts of the Florida Panhandle as far east as Jacksonville. Winter storm warnings stretch from Texas to North Carolina including Florida.

This may be a once in a generation storm for many. The last snowfall of 2.5cm (1 inch) in New Orleans was over 15 years ago. The record for that city is 6cm (2.7 inches) set on December 31, 1962. Many southern cities are set to break there all time snow and ice records.

Coldest air of the season set to move into southern Quebec

We had more snow again this week in Montreal. So far this January, between 20 and 30cm of fresh snow has fallen across the metro region. We have had at least a trace of snow measured each day this month through January 16, with the exception of Friday, January 10. (Valley Weather Photo)

An arctic airmass will invade southern Quebec late this upcoming weekend, ushering in the coldest air so far this season, and likely colder than anything we experienced last winter.

Temperatures were very mild during the winter of 2023-2024, with no readings below -18C (0F) for the entire season in Montreal. So far this winter, I managed to just sneak below the -18C threshold at my home on Ile Perrot, down to -18.3C (-1F) on December 26. In general you need to go back to February 2023 for the last significant cold snap in the city. Montreal dropped to -29.3C (-21F) on February 4. That brief cold spell closed schools and strained Hydro resources for a day or two.

The upcoming arctic weather will not be that drastic, but will certainly feel much colder than most of us are accustomed to with the recent warmer-than-normal winters.

Before the cold air arrives, we are looking at yet another clipper system Thursday, that will be responsible for some nuisance snow, perhaps a dusting to 1cm. The flurries will end Thursday night, with partly cloudy skies expected on Friday. Expect very mild temperatures, with highs between 0C and -3C (27 to 32F) through Saturday and lows not falling far from those readings.

On Saturday, low pressure passing well north of Montreal will give us a shot of mild air on gusty south winds just in advance of a strong cold front. That front will cross the region late Saturday, accompanied by snow and gusty winds. Another front arrives late Sunday, with light snow and a reinforcing shot of cold air. By Monday, highs will struggle into the minus teens, with overnight lows through Wednesday morning colder than -20C (-4F) in Montreal. Windchill readings will drop into the minus 30s.

Arctic high pressure will settle over southern Quebec on Monday, with clear and frigid conditions forecast.

I will post further updates as the details become a little more clear. Plan for some very cold temperatures, dangerous windchills and more snow through the end of this month.

Critical fire weather remains across southern California

One of four Quebec Super Scoopers battling the flames in southern California over the past week. The CL-415 Aircraft is capable of scooping up 6000 litres of water in seconds. The battle from the air has been crucial in slowing the spread of the fires. The incredible photo was taken by @FIREPHOTOGIRL and posted on X.

Gusty Santa Ana winds continue to blow across southern California, along with critically low humidity readings. These conditions are expected to persist through Thursday before easing on Friday as winds turn more onshore bringing in a moist marine layer.

California is reeling from days of severe wildfires that have claimed at least 24 lives, resulted in evacuations of over 150,000 residents and destroyed over 15,000 dwellings. Many historic buildings have been lost, with entire neighbourhoods incinerated, including the picturesque Pacific Palisades.

According to Cal Fire, the Eaton Fire has consumed 14,000 acres and is 33 percent contained as of Tuesday morning. The Palisades Fire has scorched over 24,000 acres and is only 14 percent contained. The 2025 fire season is off to a fast start, well ahead of the 5-year average of 46 fires consuming 13 acres. To date there have been over 100 fires burning 39,000 acres.

Early estimates on damage are exceeding $250 billion, making the California Fires the costliest natural disaster in US history. Those amounts are only expected to rise.

The wildfires were the result of a perfect storm. Since October 1st, Los Angeles has recorded less than 1mm of rainfall, with only 4-7mm since May 1st. The tinder dry region was primed for a severe wildfire. Once started, they were driven by fierce Santa Ana winds that gusted over 120km/h. These winds are hot, dry winds the blow from the desert, howling through the mountain canyons to the Pacific Ocean. High pressure to the north, in this case over Idaho and low pressure to the south, squeezes the winds through the mountain passes, while drying out the atmosphere even more. The offshore winds easily spread any fire that may start. 

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which can range from electrical, such as in Maui, to lightning as is often the case here in Quebec, this was not the case in L.A., or by humans either in error or by arson. Once started, the powerful winds spread the fire quickly, at one point the Palisades fire was consuming as much as 5 football fields every minute. Embers can travel miles away igniting homes far from the fire source and creating new wildfires.

Canadian Help

Canada continues to help California, with aircraft from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Colombia down south. This includes four CL-415 Super Scoopers from Quebec. One was damaged in a collision with a drone late last week, but landed safely. The plane remains grounded, but has been replaced along with additional crews. We have also sent at least 250 firefighters. Help has also arrived from 9 US States and Mexico.

More snow this week along with milder temperatures

Snow has fallen in Montreal on 12 of the 13 days so far this month. Amounts have not been all that impressive, with only 17.4cm falling at Trudeau Airport. Despite the light amounts, roads have often been icy and snow covered, with numerous accidents occurring across the region. You do not need a large accumulation of snow for dangerous travel conditions. Light amounts of snow often create very slippery roads and black ice. (Valley Weather Photo)

The active weather pattern will persist this week across southern Ontario and Quebec, with several weak systems impacting our weather. Monday morning features a clipper type low pressure moving across the region, accompanied by occasional light snow. The snow will make the roads greasy and messy as it did over the weekend, but will only amount to a couple of centimetres at best.

The one concern will be Monday afternoon along a trailing cold front. There is the chance for a few isolated snow squalls, that could produce brief heavy snow and gusty winds, reducing visibility. The best chance in the Montreal region will be between 3-6pm this afternoon. Along and behind the cold front, winds will back to the northwest and gust up to 40km/h.

Temperatures will be mild today, just below the freezing point in Montreal, and remain above normal for most of the upcoming week. Highs will be in the 0C to -4C (25 to 32F) range, with overnight lows around -8C (18F). If we manage any clearing overnight this week, with fresh snow cover, we may see some minus teens.

The week will remain unsettled, with several areas of weak low pressure moving rapidly from west to east. While precipitation amounts have been below normal so far in January, we have received at least a trace of snow everyday since the start of the month, with the exception of last Friday. As a result, 17.4cm of fresh snow has fallen at Trudeau Airport, with as much as 25cm in other parts of southern Quebec.

A stronger storm system is possible by next Saturday, followed by a significant push of arctic air. I will post more on that later, as well as an update on the devastating fires in southern California.

Cold snowy week for Montreal

Crews have been kept busy across southern Quebec, with snow falling each day so far this month. As of Wednesday morning, between 10 and 15cm has fallen across the Montreal region, with more east and southeast of the city. Another 5-10cm of likely over the next 24 hours, along with gusty west winds up to 50km/h and bitter windchills. (Valley Weather Photo)

Frigid air has settled over southern Quebec on Wednesday as stubborn low pressure northeast of the region draws down cold air. The upper low is also producing gusty northwest winds and occasional snow. Close to 5cm fell on the Montreal area on Tuesday, and another 5 to 10cm is likely over the next 24 hours. Blowing and drifting snow can be expected as well, due to the strong northwest winds.

The snow and very cold temperatures have left roads very slippery across the region. Winds have been gusting between 30 and 50km/h at Trudeau Airport, producing wind-chill values as cold as -25C (-13C) in Montreal. Temperatures will struggle to rise today and into the overnight period to around -10C (14F) by Thursday morning. Winds will remain gusty throughout the period, so conditions will be rather uncomfortable outdoors. Cloudy skies will persist on Thursday, along with few flurries. We may see a few peaks of sunshine on Friday, but temperatures will remain at or below normal for January for the foreseeable future.

FIRE & ICE

Winter weather has also been occurring across wide portions of the United States. A new storm this week will deliver snow and freezing rain across the deep south from Texas to the Carolinas. Meanwhile powerful Santa Ana winds have been driving fierce wildfires across the Los Angeles County region of southern California, pushing first responders to the limit. Nearly 1000 dwellings have been destroyed by the raging fires, that are being driven by winds in excess of 160km/h (100 mph). Two main fires, the Palisades and Hurst fires continue out of control on Wednesday. The Palisades alone fire has consumed over 3000 acres and is zero percent contained at this time.

Santa Ana winds have been howling across Southern California, driving fire storms that have destroyed entire neighbourhoods over the last 24 hours. Many fires are burning, stretching the limits of first responders. Fire conditions remain very dangerous Wednesday afternoon across LA County.

Chilly start to 2025 in Montreal

A major thaw resulted in all our snow melting away just prior to New Year's Day. Since then, we have had almost daily flurries and snow showers that have made roads slippery at times, and accumulated a general 5-10cm of snow across southern Quebec., More light snow and cold temperatures can be expected for the upcoming week. (Valley Weather Photo)

High pressure has been trying to nose into southern Quebec over the last few days, but a stubborn low pressure located well to the north of our region has been producing a cold northwest flow, along with occasional flurries and snow showers. The result has been cold blustery conditions of the last 48 hours, with nearly steady temperatures between -10C (14F) and -12C (10F). Winds have been between 20-40km/h, with a gust to 79km/h at Trudeau Airport on Thursday.

Most of the snow has been very light, but some isolated bands produced moderate snow briefly overnight into Sunday morning. Since January 1, between 5 and 10cm of snow has fallen across most of southern Quebec. Further west across the Great Lakes, very heavy lake effect snow fell in isolated bands, reducing visibility to zero at times, closing several highways immediately adjacent to the lakes in central and southern Ontario.

The same was true south of the border in western New York. Further south a strong winter storm was spreading snow and ice form the central plains, across the Ohio and Tennessee Valley and into the Middle Atlantic states. Freezing rain created havoc on roads across Kansas on Saturday, with hundreds of miles of interstates closed down after several multi-vehicle accidents.

In Montreal, we can expect cold temperatures to persist this week, but nothing exceptional, just January weather. Some light snow is possible on Monday evening into Tuesday morning, along with flurries through Thursday. We may briefly see the sun next Friday before another chance for snow arrives next weekend. At this time, none of the systems look particularly strong, with just a few centimetres expected.

Highs will range from -6C to -10C, with overnight lows between -10C and -17C. It is worth noting that if skies can manage to clear out and winds ease Sunday evening, some locations across the Montreal region may drop close to -20C (-4F). This would be the coldest night in the last two years. As I write, skies are clear in Montreal and the current temperature is -13C (7F).