After the ice storm - calm weather for Christmas

This a stunning picture that captures the beauty and devastation of the ice storm in Ontario yesterday.
Posted by Simon O via Twitter.

One more day of unsettled weather from that nasty arctic boundary before we get a break for Christmas. Montreal was very lucky this weekend with nearly 60mm of precipitation falling in the city, but most of it in the solid form. It spared us the devastation that we are seeing in portions of southern Ontario by just a few kilometers. Thousands of trees are down, some on cars and houses along with power lines and poles. Power remains out to nearly 130,000 homes in Ontario this morning from Toronto to Cornwall. There are still thousands without power in southern Quebec, mainly south of Montreal along the US border. Six fatalities were attributed top the storm in Quebec. Montreal has received nearly 2 feet of snow since last Sunday with the first storm costing the city nearly 20 million to remove. Snow clearing operations for this second storm began this morning and will cost taxpayers another 20 million. While we were enduring all this, summer heat spread north along the US east coast with dozens of record highs including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington topping 70F and over 80F (27C )in Norfolk.

Fire & Ice as a hydro transformer explodes in southern Ontario during the ice storm. (The Weather Network)

The weather will finally clam down a little after a final surge of moisture this morning. Some light snow and freezing drizzle is possible today in Montreal and the Townships with temperatures staying where they have been all weekend, -7 or -8C. High pressure will nose into the region on Christmas Eve through Christmas Day with clear and cold weather. Temperatures will be near -12 Tuesday and -15C Wednesday before they moderate slightly on Boxing Day. Travel is much better today, but lots of ice remains so travel with tremendous caution and reduce your speed. There is lots of tree damage in places that received ice from Quebec across northern New York and Vermont and especially Ontario. Tree limbs will continue to fall long after the precipitation has ended. Watch where you stand and park.