Montreal under winter weather advisory as winds bring blowing snow

A winter weather travel advisory is in effect for the Montreal area Thursday, with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) warning of potentially difficult road conditions due to blowing snow and fresh accumulation.

Winds gusting up to 60 kilometres per hour are expected to lift snow already on the ground, reducing visibility on exposed roads.

Drivers are being urged to adjust to rapidly changing conditions.

Periods of snow and local blowing snow are forecast through the day Thursday, according to ECCC between eight to 10 centimetres of snow have fallen in Quebec since Wednesday, with the Montreal area seeing 12 centimetres.

An additional two centimetres is expected to fall Thursday during the day and up to one centimetre at night.

Westerly winds will keep temperatures falling, reaching minus-9 Celsius Thursday afternoon. The wind chill is expected to be minus–12 C in the morning and near minus–18 C by late day.

Thursday night, light snow will taper off near midnight, followed by partly cloudy skies and lingering blowing snow in some areas. The low will fall to minus –11 C, with a wind chill near minus–20 C.

Friday will bring a mix of sun and cloud and a high of minus–4 C. Wind chills will be near minus–21 C in the morning and minus–10 C Friday afternoon. Skies will clear Friday night with a low of minus–9 C.

Flurries return Saturday with a high of minus –3 C, followed by periods of snow Saturday night and a low of minus –9 C.

Sunny and colder conditions are expected Sunday, with a high near minus–8 C and a clear night dropping to minus–14 C.