Heavy rain tonight for Montreal - cooler weekend

Dark clouds are on the western horizon as a very slow moving cold front inches its way across Ontario towards metro Montreal. This front has been the focus for heavy rain along with some isolated thunderstorms. A conveyor belt of moisture stretches from Cuba to Ontario.Yesterday was a windy and warm day in southern Quebec with 29C (85F) at Trudeau Airport. As expected other areas were even warmer with St. Anicet at 32.9C (92F) and Cornwall/Massena NY at 33C (92F).

The front pushing slowly across New York state and Ontario has been the focus for heavy rain since Monday. The picture above shows major flooding in Gowanda in western New York. (Gowanda Volunteer Fire Dept.)

The aforementioned front will take the next 24 to 36 hours to clear Montreal with rain at times heavy forecast to start this afternoon and only taper off Saturday. Environment Canada has posted a heavy rainfall warning for most of southern Quebec including metro Montreal for 40-70mm of rain (approx 1-3 inches). The ground remains saturated from recent snow melt so runoff could be fast with some flooding possible. Skies will turn partly cloudy by late Saturday and clouds and sun will mix for the balance of the long holiday weekend. It will be much cooler behind the front with temperatures only in the teens. The cool air behind the front was evident this morning in Toronto. Montreal was a warm 22C (72F) at 7am while Toronto was 9C (48F). While portions of eastern Ontario were close to 32C on Thursday Toronto was only 19C. Behind the front very cold air is settling in with frost and freeze warnings in the upper Midwest and even snow in northwest Ontario.

Warm and humid weather for Montreal

A slow moving cold front is producing severe weather in Ontario and the US Midwest. This tornado formed near Cedarville, Ohio around 6pm Wednesday. (Photo Credit: Twitter @MarkBiddinger)

A warm front lifted its way north of Montreal on Wednesday leaving behind a warm and summery air mass. We managed a warm and humid 25C (77F) yesterday and the temperature is already 18C (65F) this morning. Look for a high of 28C (83F) in Montreal and perhaps even a few degrees warmer at some other southern Quebec locations. Winds will begin to increase from the southwest between 30-50km/h today ahead of a very slow moving cold front. That front has abundant moisture and plenty of thunderstorm activity along it that will arrive some time on Friday and remain with us through Saturday night. Heavy rain, perhaps over 25mm is possible late Friday. Temperatures will be warm today (28C) and tonight (20C) and cool to around 22C on Friday. The weekend at this time does not look great with showers expected and cooler temperatures.

This cold front has been affecting southwest Ontario and western New York as well as Ohio for the last three days. Heavy rain has produced flash flooding in western New York. On Wednesday numerous tornado producing thunderstorms were reported across central Ohio. Today more severe weather is likely in Ontario as well as NY, Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Environment Canada has confirmed the first tornado of the year in our country, an EF-1 storm capable of winds up to 177km/h touched down around 5:15pm on Tuesday evening near Mildmay, Ontario. Tree and structural damage was reported but thankfully no injuries.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS

I am working on a blog entry that explains the frequency and risk of tornadoes in Canada as well as the difference between a watch and warning. I will be posting this by the weekend. Severe thunderstorm season is here, always be weather ready in the summer. Already we have seen two fatalities in southern Quebec as a result of strong winds. Two men fishing on the Lake of Two Mountains were killed last weekend when their boat capsized throwing them into the frigid waters. It is important to know the risk when you head outside each day, whether it simply be the UV index or the risk for lightning and strong winds..

Unsettled week ahead for Quebec

There is no snow in baseball! Coors Field home of the Colorado Rockies in the snow on Monday. (Rockies Twitter post)

A very weak backdoor cold front has slipped south across the St. Lawrence Valley this morning introducing a cool northeast wind in Montreal. A backdoor cold front is simply a boundary of cooler air moving from northeast to southwest, opposite of their typical movement in southern Quebec.The air behind the front is of marine origin, damp and cooler Temperatures are down from the low 20's we had Monday afternoon, sitting at 9C (48F) this morning on L'Ile Perrot.

That front has very little moisture associated with it but has brought lots of cloud cover along with a maritime air mass. Clouds will prevail for the day and for most of the week, temperatures will be cool today at 17C (63F). The front will wash out later today over New York state setting up a wind shift to the southwest and bringing back warmer air for Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures will be in the mid 20's both days with perhaps 27C if see a peek or two of sun. By Thursday a very slow moving cold front will produce showers and thunderstorms across southern Quebec and Ontario, lasting into the start of the long Victoria Day weekend. Thunderstorms will be more numerous today across southwest Ontario closer to the warmer and more humid air currently over the southern US. Some of the storms may be severe in nature with hail and high winds being the main threat especially from London to Windsor. Meanwhile snow is falling over northwest Ontario with 5cm in Kenora. The snow has finally come to an end in Denver and portions of Colorado and Wyoming. From 1-3 feet of snow fell across the region with less in the metro area of Denver. The good news is that highs will be close to 27C (80F) by the weekend.

A little summer like weather for Montreal

It was a windy, warm weekend across southern Quebec, feeling almost summer like from late Friday evening into late Saturday. A little sunshine and some humid conditions on Friday helped fuel some evening thunderstorm activity from eastern Ontario into metro Montreal. A few of the storms were on the heavy side with frequent lightning and heavy rain. Around 11mm fell in Montreal, but Ottawa and some eastern Ontario locations had over 25mm (1 inch) in just a few hours. Temperatures were rather warm on Saturday in the middle 20's and just a touch cooler Sunday under bright sunshine. It was a breezy weekend, 30-50km/h and that will persist into this week. A complex weather pattern this week with high pressure early in the week, and then a series of fronts producing showers and numerous thunderstorms from late Wednesday through Friday. The warm weather will continue with highs in the low to middle 20's and overnight lows around 10C.

An incredible amount of snow has fallen across the Rockies today as far south as metro Denver. The photo above was taken in Albany, Wyoming where 1-2 feet of snow fell today. (The Weather Channel - credit to robk2). Interstate 80 is closed  from Rawlings to Cheyenne because of May snow!

STRONG WESTERN STORM
A strong low pressure area in the US southwest is producing heavy snow across portions of the Rockies including a few inches in Denver. Upwards of 1-2 feet of snow has fallen across northern Colorado into Wyoming. Meanwhile east of the falling snow, warm and humid air is producing severe thunderstorms with tornadoes across Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. Major damage was reported in several small Nebraska communities including Exeter and Sutton on Sunday, May 11. I spent part of the evening watching the live feed from Greg Johnson at TornadoHunter.com and the storms were rather impressive. The good news is that despite all the damage in Nebraska today, thanks to advance warning of up to 15 minutes from meteorologists, no fatalities were reported.

Warmer weather slow to arrive - but it is coming

High pressure will settle across southern Quebec for the middle portion of the week with some much needed sunshine and relatively warmer temperatures near 17C (63F). The overnight hours will be chilly with lows near 2 or 3C. Environment Canada has an advisory out for the risk of scattered frost. There was a little this morning in off island communities north and south of metro Montreal. I recorded a low of 1.1C (34F) at 5:45 this morning on L'Ile Perrot with just a hint of frost on the car. The same will hold true for Thursday morning, with nothing but sunshine forecast today and a few increasing clouds later on Thursday. Warmer temperatures along with a few showers and thunderstorms are forecast for Friday and Saturday before we get a sunny and warm (21C/70F) Mothers Day. As a matter of fact most of next week looks warmer than normal as some of that sultry air that has been gathering over Texas begins to move northeast.

The view from the top of beautiful Mount Washington this past week. Winter remains in control on the top of the 6200 foot peak. Mount Washington is getting ready to start the new visitor season. It is well worth the trip. 
Look for more info HERE. (Mount Washington Observatory Photo) 

WINTER WILL NOT GO!
Winter is trying to hold on with snow over the weekend in Alberta and a big heavy wet snowstorm in Newfoundland Monday. Nearly 30cm of snow fell in Gander with 10cm in St John's. Closer to home Mount Washington, New Hampshire is only 25F this morning. They have had lots of snow, over 30cm (1 foot) in the past week and remain in winter mode for the time being in hopes of starting the tourist season by Memorial Day weekend. The 12.6 inches of snow to start the month of May is the most at the summit dating back to 2006. The mountain toll road remains closed to regular traffic as snow clearing operations continue.

A slightly better weather week for southern Quebec

Nearly 25cm of wet snow fell across southern Alberta this past weekend in what has been a stupid spring to say the least across most of the country. (CTV News)

The weather typically settles down in May after the turbulent and changeable month of April. This May, not so much so far with lots of rain and even snow this past weekend. Montreal had plenty of rain as a very slow moving upper level low moved from the Ottawa Valley to the Gulf of Maine. Another 25mm or so fell over the city this past weekend as our wet, cool spring moves along. We remain below normal in the temperature department with the flowers and trees seeming to be two to three weeks behind schedule. It looks a little better today in southern Quebec with showers tapering off by noon and perhaps a peek or two of sunshine this afternoon. Temperatures will try to go north of 12 or 13C. Cool tonight down into the middle single digits with followed by a mix of clouds and sun for Tuesday and highs near 13C again. It looks like sunshine and mild temperatures of 17C for Wednesday, it what will likely be the best day of the week and of the month so far. At this time the Mother's Day weekend looks like a split with showers on Saturday but sunshine and warm highs near 21C (70F) for Sunday.

The Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta on Saturday.

Over the weekend we had an incredible mix of weather reported across western Canada south into the southern US plains. Calgary and the Rockies had over 20cm of wet snow, this after highs in the low 20's Friday. The snow caused a host of problems from power outages and downed trees to numerous accidents across southern Alberta. The same system also produced snow across the Dakotas and thunderstorms across the central plains. While the snow was forecast in Alberta, strong winds and dry weather helped fuel a major brush fire in southern Saskatchewan outside Swift Current that threatened northern parts of that community late last Thursday. Meanwhile south Texas had record breaking triple digit heat over the weekend with highs in the 90's to over 100F in several locations across the western portion of the state. More heat and very strong, dry southwest winds are forecast today with an elevated fire danger over northern portions of Texas into Oklahoma. A major brush fire in Oklahoma on Sunday destroyed several homes and led to 1 fatality.

New month - same weather

The damage continues to mount up and down the Eastern Seaboard from heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes. This street in Baltimore collapsed onto railroad tracks as a result of heavy rain. (Washington Post)

If April showers bring May flowers, where are they? More importantly what do May showers bring? I have measured close to 50mm of rain (2 inches) here on L'Ile Perrot since late Sunday night. A little less at Trudeau Airport with close to 40mm. The rain for the most part has remained within the river banks in southern Quebec, with minimal flooding being reported along the shores of Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River as well as Lake of Two Mountains according to Urgence Quebec. Showers will continue this morning in Montreal. It is good to see April over, not a record cold month by any stretch with only around 1cm of snow for Montreal, but damp and dismal just the same. The average temperature at Dorval was 10.6C around 1 degree below normal. We only managed 1 warm day, actually just a few hours on April 14 when it reached 25C. Rainfall was abundant for the month at 135.8mm. The wet, cool start to spring has left little growing in my neighborhood with no leaves to speak of on any of the trees and very few plants flowering.

The weather will be damp again today with perhaps a few peeks of sunshine this afternoon. If we see the sun it will warm up to 16C. Enjoy it as cool and showery weather returns tonight and lasting well into Monday with temperatures around 12C for highs and 7C for lows. The culprit continues to be a slow moving upper level low over the Great Lakes. This system pumped copious amounts of tropical moisture up the entire east coast on Wednesday with major flooding rains in the order of 3-5 inches from the Gulf Coast to New England and heavy rain pushing into Ontario and Quebec. The southern half of the system will move offshore today with improving weather for the deep south and middle Atlantic, while the actual low itself remains slow to traverse our area. I don't expect warmer or dry weather before next Tuesday.