Dangerous travel days ahead as 20-30+ cm of snow threatens Quebec
Quebec will see multiple shots of snow this week as more than one system tracks into the province with blustery winds and wintry weather.
Widespread winter weather alerts line Quebec ahead of a powerful winter storm that threatens 20-30+ cm of snow through Thursday.
The snow is expected to develop from southwest to northeast on Wednesday night and continue into Thursday as a Texas low pushes into southern Quebec. This will likely have major impacts on travel, with cancellations and closures a near guarantee.
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"Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow," warned Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in the winter storm watch issued for the Montreal area early Tuesday. "There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas."
Stay up-to-date with the latest weather alerts in your area, and be sure to always check highway conditions before heading out.
Wednesday night and Thursday: Heavy snow picks up, travel troubles highly likely
A Texas low will develop early Wednesday and then gradually strengthen as it moves up the Mississippi Valley as the day progresses, eventually tracking into Quebec Wednesday overnight through Thursday.
Snow will begin Wednesday overnight in western Quebec, namely for Gatineau and then Montreal a few hours later.
By Thursday morning, the heaviest snow falls during the morning commute, staying that way for the rest of the morning. With wind gusts of 40-60 km/h, expect extremely snowy conditions with whiteout conditions. Travel will be quite difficult during that time.
Snowfall will slowly ease Thursday afternoon, potentially leading to some light mixing for parts of Montreal and south. The precipitation will end during the evening period.
However, wind gusts of 50-70 km/h are expected to persist, so tricky road conditions will still be likely for travellers.
Heavy snow is expected for southern Quebec, with a swath of 20+ cm of snow possible. The greatest likelihood of those amounts will be through the Laurentians.
The exact track of the low still remains uncertain at this time, which could impact snow totals overall. With a southerly track, the heaviest snow would be right over top of the Montreal area.
Regardless, there's high confidence that hazardous travel conditions are likely Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
Drivers are urged to consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve.
Not the end of the major snow yet as weekend storm looms
Fair weather is expected on Friday, but another winter storm is expected to impact the region on the weekend. A Colorado low is expected to track south of the region, but close enough to bring widespread snow on Saturday night.
Next week is expected to be mostly fair and cold, but we will have a risk for another significant system or two later in the week. Colder-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate through the end of February and into March.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on your forecast across Quebec.