The end of the year will be accompanied by snow and freezing rain
A real meteorological cocktail will hit Quebec on Monday. Freezing rain accompanied by strong winds are causing fears of possible power outages in many areas, while others will experience winter storms and blowing snow – or all at once.
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Freezing rain accompanied by sleet is expected to fall from midnight, during the night from Sunday to Monday, then continue throughout the day Monday in the Outaouais and in the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Greater Montreal, Montérégie and Estrie.
In total, 5 to 15 millimeters of black ice are expected. Building up on branches could cause them to break, which could lead to prolonged power outages.
“Strong winds with gusts of 70 to 80 km/h will pick up in the afternoon, then in the evening, which will create additional stress” on the electrical network, warns Frédérick Boulay, meteorologist at Environment Canada.
During rush hour on Monday morning, “you can expect the surfaces to be frozen,” he adds, which could have significant repercussions on traffic.
“Be very careful if you travel on foot or by car,” states the Environment Canada warning.
Elsewhere in Quebec, there could be a mix of freezing rain and sleet followed by snow, with 15 to 30 cm of snow expected. Several areas could experience winter storm conditions. Strong winds could cause blowing snow and significantly reduce visibility on the roads until Tuesday.
To the west, mainly in Abitibi, a winter storm could bring 30 to 50 cm of snow with winds of up to 60 km/h, according to Environment Canada’s warning. “Travel will probably be dangerous […]road closures are possible,” it is emphasized.
After this real meteorological cocktail, “we are going to have an arctic air mass which will settle in until the end of the week”, warns Frédérick Boulay. Temperatures will plummet to around -15°C or -25°C depending on the sector, with feelings possibly going down to -38. Extreme cold warnings may be issued.
