(Montreal) Another storm crosses Quebec on Saturday and is expected to leave 15 to 40 centimeters of snow in its path.
The snow started during the night from Friday to Saturday in the greater Montreal area.
About fifteen centimeters of snow are expected in southern Quebec during the day on Saturday, with strong winds causing blowing snow in places. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult in some locations and snow could be mixed with rain in the afternoon.
Estrie fared a little better having received light snow during the night, notably in Sherbrooke, but it was mainly the strong winds from the south-east, accompanied by gusts to 90 kilometers per hour, which cause problems Saturday morning. These winds are similar to those that occurred last Wednesday.
The Mont Sutton ski resort has also announced that it will be closed for the day due to a power outage and strong winds expected until the end of the morning.
The snowstorm is gradually moving towards central and eastern Quebec.
In Trois-Rivières, in Mauricie, Environment Canada forecasts on Saturday morning showed an accumulation of 25 to 40 centimeters of snow, with strong winds and blowing snow. Conditions should improve at the end of the day.
We could receive up to 5 cm of snow per hour in places, combined with strong winds causing blowing snow. Visibility on the roads will be reduced, or even zero in places, explained meteorologist Jean-Philippe Bégin, from Environment Canada, at a press conference the day before to prepare the population for what is coming.
“We are talking about 25 cm of snow to 40 cm of snow in a strip north of the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec, including Charlevoix, the North Shore and the southeast of Gaspésie,” explained Mr. Bégin .
The regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent and those near Quebec should be more severely affected by the storm, which will make travel dangerous.
“The regions near Quebec will have very strong winds and zero visibility conditions,” warned the meteorologist from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
A winter storm warning was still in effect shortly after 5 a.m. Saturday morning in Quebec, where 20 to 30 centimeters of snow were forecast, according to the forecast.
“Winds will blow from the northeast gusting to 90 kilometers per hour near the river […] Visibility will be suddenly reduced to almost zero at times in heavy snow and blowing snow,” the warning states.
The snow should decrease in intensity in the evening in the Old Capital and surrounding areas.
Higher than normal water levels are also expected near the coast Saturday evening.
Winter storm and storm surge warnings were also still in effect in the Charlevoix region, where dangerous winter conditions are expected later in the day. For example, in Baie-Saint-Paul, we expect 25 to 40 centimeters of snow, strong to violent winds and blowing snow.
It’s the same thing in Baie-Comeau and on the North Shore, where higher than normal water levels, large waves and sea ice near the coast are expected Saturday afternoon .
Dangerous winter conditions are also expected in Gaspé later in the day. The storm will bring 15 to 30 centimeters of snow, strong winds and blowing snow. There too, winds will blow from the east gusting to 90 kilometers per hour, especially in exposed places.
The storm could also cause flight delays at the province’s airports.