Montreal could see its heaviest snowfall of the season so far
Snowfall warnings blanket southern Quebec as a system that developed stateside could dump 20-30 cm, potentially giving some areas such as Montreal their heaviest totals of the season so far
A potent storm stateside will nudge its way north into Eastern Canada to end the weekend, bringing a heavy swath of snow from eastern Ontario to Atlantic Canada.
A variety of weather alerts are in place in the eastern half of the country, including snowfall warnings in Quebec. The system threatens to bring the biggest snowfall of the season across Montreal, and double the amount of snowfall received from October to the present.
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Motorists will need to be prepared to adjust their driving with changing road conditions. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. There may be a significant impact on rush-hour traffic in urban areas, especially on Monday morning. Consider postponing non-essential travel.
As things stand now, parts of southern Quebec, including the Montreal area, could shovel away 15-30 cm of wet snow by the time the storm wraps up on Monday.
Plan ahead for treacherous road conditions throughout the area during and immediately after the storm, as well as the potential for flight delays and power outages.
Sunday to Monday
A low-pressure system developing over the Midwestern U.S. will scrape along the Great Lakes and into New England through the day Sunday.
Periods of light snow will develop by Sunday afternoon, accumulating before the evening commute, so plan accordingly. Light snow may mix with rainfall along the St. Lawrence as temperatures remain slightly warmer farther south.
Snowfall rates will increase across the area Sunday evening as temperatures hover near the freezing mark. With a northeast wind of 20-40 km/h, that will bring the risk of reduced visibility under heavy snow.
Precipitation will be heavy, wet snow for the entire Island of Montreal, accumulating at rates of 2-4 cm per hour.
The heaviest bands of snow will continue to migrate over the city of Montreal Sunday overnight.
Precipitation will have tapered to periods of light snow by the Monday morning commute. The storm cleanup will be in full swing as commuters try to make their way around the region.
As you can see from a localized snowfall graphic for Montreal, the city is comfortably in the 15-25-cm range of snowfall, with locally higher farther north.
Temperatures hovering close to the freezing mark will make this a wet, weighty snow that will make shovelling difficult and travelling even tougher. The weight of the snow will also lead to an increased risk for power outages.
A blanket of wet snow measuring more than 15 cm deep will make for treacherous driving, especially on lesser-travelled side roads. The wet snow could also lead to airport delays and possible cancellations as crews will have to work to clear the sticky snow off aircraft for a safe departure.
Plan ahead for potential travel issues on the road Sunday and through Monday, and stay up-to-date with the potential for delays and cancellations throughout the region.
Be sure to check back for the latest on this southern Quebec snowfall.
