Cold weather holds on as flurries return in Montreal

A stretch of wintry weather will grip the region through the weekend and into next week, bringing intermittent flurries, shifting cloud cover and persistently cold temperatures after yesterday’s heavy snowfall.

“Official measurements show about six centimetres of snow at Trudeau airport yesterday, but closer to 10 centimetres fell across parts of Montreal,” said Simon Legault, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“Because it was light snow and winds varied, it was difficult to get precise measurements,” said Legault.

Light snow tapers off this morning, followed by clearing skies as a gusty west wind eases through the afternoon. The high reaches minus –11 Celsius, but wind chills make it feel closer to minus –24 C early in the day, moderating to minus –16 C later.

Cloud cover increases tonight with a 40 per cent chance of flurries. Winds remain light and temperatures stay near minus –11 C, with a wind chill around minus –17 C.

“Before the colder air arrives, we’re looking at periods of light snow, generally just a few centimetres at a time, one to three centimetres here and there, so nothing significant,” said Legault.

Saturday stays cloudy, with a 40 per cent chance of morning flurries and light snow beginning near noon. Winds remain light and temperatures rise to a high of minus – 4 C, with wind chills near minus –15 C in the morning and minus –8 C in the afternoon. Skies turn partly cloudy overnight with a low of minus – 7 C.

A mix of sun and cloud is expected Sunday, bringing a milder high of minus – 3 C. Cloudy periods continue into the night with a low of minus –8 C.

“The weekend looks fairly calm overall, but occasional light snowfall could still have some impact on travel,” warned Legault. “There may be minor delays, so people should take their time when driving and adjust how they move around.”

Clouds dominate Monday with a 70 per cent chance of flurries and a high of minus – 5 C. Skies partially clear overnight as temperatures fall to minus – 13 C.

Tuesday brings a mix of sun and cloud, but colder air returns with a high of minus – 11 C. Cloudy periods overnight send temperatures plunging to minus – 20 C.

“The colder air really moves in starting Tuesday night into Wednesday,” said Legault. “That’s typically the coldest time of the year, and we’ll see temperatures dip below seasonal norms, around minus 20, though nothing record-breaking.”

“We already had a colder-than-usual start to winter this year,” added Legault.

While brief breaks of sun are expected, the cold will remain firmly in place, with overnight lows dipping sharply as the new week unfolds.