Perfect Monday - but unsettled weather week ahead

High clouds from a late-season Atlantic coastal storm stream northward on Friday evening, making for a spectacular April sunset in the St. Lawrence Valley. (Valley Weather Photo)

April has always been a month of transition and extremes in southern Quebec, as the seasons battle. Ultimately spring will win  out, but it may take a couple of more weeks for that to happen this year.

High pressure will dominate the weather on Monday across southern Québec, with abundant sunshine and warm temperatures into the middle and upper teens. Enjoy today, as the balance of the week looks rather unsettled and cool.

Over the weekend, a late season coastal storm moved along the Atlantic coast, bringing snow to portions of southern and central New England. Montreal was on the extreme northern edge of the system, with clouds on Saturday, and light rain as far north as the south shore. The city remained dry. Sunday was near-perfect, with sunshine an a warm high of 15C (59F). 

April has been a rather cloudy, cool and breezy month to date. Winds have gusted over 30km/h each day, often chilly from the northeast. We have managed 484mm of rain and 6cm of snow as of Sunday. I am hopeful the snow is done for the season, but we may see a few flurries midweek.

Clouds will increase Monday night as a frontal boundary lifts into the St. Lawrence Valley. Showers are likely, and will continue into Tuesday. Temperatures will be mild for the next 24 hours. Strengthening  low pressure will lift northeast towards Quebec City by Wednesday, dragging a cold front across the region.

Look for much colder weather Wednesday and Thursday, with highs only in the single digits and lows near freezing. The front will also produce a mix of rain and snow, with any snow accumulation confined to the highest elevations, especially across the eastern Townships and Green Mountains of Vermont. In Montreal, only a few flurries or wet snow showers are possible.

By Good Friday, skies should clear for the day, along with seasonable temperatures. The good weather will not last as another system is forecast to bring rain for to begin the Easter long weekend.