Montreal's historic snowfall nearly ties this 127-year record
Heavy snow battered southern Quebec this past weekend, with Montreal racking up an impressive amount in just four days.
72.4 cm. That’s how much snow fell on Montreal between February 13 and 16. The last time the city saw that much snow in such a short period? The only other time on record was between January 19 and 22... back in 1898! Back then, the same amount of snow fell – 72.4 cm.
It’s safe to say that snow removal was far more challenging in those days without modern equipment. But on the other hand, there were far fewer cars, meaning less urgency to clear the streets.
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Montreal's historic four-day snowfall
On February 13, Montreal was hit with 34 cm of snow. Many believed that would be the storm of the year. However, its reign was short-lived. On Sunday, February 16, the city was buried under another 36.8 cm of snow. Adding in the 1.6 cm that fell on Saturday, February 15, the total reached a staggering 72.4 cm in just four days.
How it compares to the March 1971 storm
Some Montrealers will undoubtedly remember the historic storm of March 3 and 4, 1971 – still referred to as the “storm of the century.” That blizzard dropped 47 cm of snow in under 24 hours. Powerful winds created blizzard conditions for 11 hours.
By comparison, Sunday’s storm produced six hours of blizzard-like conditions. The 1971 storm still holds its title as the “storm of the century,” but even when including additional snowfall three days later on March 7, the total over those four days was 60.2 cm – falling well short of this February’s 72.4 cm.
A much-needed break in the forecast
For context, Montreal received 40 cm of snow during the entire month of January. That means nearly twice as much snow fell in just four days this February. Fortunately, snow removal crews and weary shovelers can expect a well-deserved break. No major systems appear on the radar for the remainder of the week.
Editor’s note: This article has been translated from French to English for The Weather Network, originally published by MétéoMedia. Read the original article, here.
It contains files from Tyler Hamilton, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
Thumbnail courtesy of EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty Images/2164424921-170667a.