Heaviest snowfall of the season targets Montreal into Sunday
Prepare for tough travel throughout southern Quebec as a round of heavy snowfall pushes into the region
A sneaky system is poised to bring Montreal one of its snowiest storms we’ve seen so far this season.
Expect the snow to begin late Saturday night and continue into Sunday morning, with exceptionally heavy snowfall rates at the storm’s peak intensity.
Slick, snow-covered roads and reduced visibility during heavy snowfall will make travel extremely difficult during the height of the storm.
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System brings heavy snow into Sunday
A surge of moisture pushing north of the international border will meet with a healthy reserve of cold air over southern Quebec on Saturday evening.
Snowfall will begin across the region late Saturday night and continue into the pre-dawn hours on Sunday. Very heavy snowfall rates of 3-5 cm per hour are possible at the height of the storm, which will make travel extremely difficult.
The snowfall will rapidly taper off around Montreal by Sunday morning as the system lifts north of the region. Temperatures will briefly warm above freezing during the day, creating slippery conditions on the roads.
We can expect 15-20 cm of snow around and north of the St. Lawrence, including Montreal proper.
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Otherwise, widespread snowfall totals of 10-15 cm are on tap for most of southern and central Quebec, including Quebec City, Gatineau, and Sherbrooke. Slightly lower totals are possible south toward the border.
This system has the potential to produce Montreal’s greatest single-storm snowfall total of the season. The city’s largest storm so far produced 16 cm of snow between Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.
As of Jan. 10, Montreal-Trudeau International Airport has notched 97 cm of snow this season. The month of November saw above-normal snowfall, while December’s snows came in around normal for the month.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from Canva.