Friday, April 12, 2013

Storm on track for Montreal & southern Quebec today

Southern Ontario this morning (The Weather Network via Twitter)
Freezing rain in Toronto overnight. (CBC News)
Winter Storm Warning - Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
If you can avoid big travel today, then do so. Don't be fooled by the quiet this morning here in Montreal, heavy winter precipitation is on our doorstep to the southwest. A wide area of precipitation will settle over southern Quebec for the next 24 hours with mostly snow, but a nasty mix of freezing rain and sleet from Montreal south. Accumulations will vary widely, as is common in April and with these types of storms, but look for 10-20cm from Montreal to Ottawa south to Cornwall and also points east to Quebec City and Sherbrooke. Travel will become difficult today as it has been in southern Ontario overnight. Steady freezing rain around the GTA and eastern Ontario overnight has prompted school closings, power outages, flight delays and numerous accidents.
Winds will be cold and gusty out of the northeast up to 50km/h in Montreal and temperatures will be either side of 0C. By Saturday slightly warmer air will change any remaining precipitation to rain with highs around 7C.

This storm has been bad with record breaking snow and freezing rain to the north and west as well as severe weather with tornadoes south of the system. Low pressure over Ohio will move east over New England today and then eastward into the Atlantic Saturday. Travel with great caution today or put it off until tomorrow.

No comments: