From 15 to 40 cm expected | A second storm in a few days

A second winter storm in just a few days hit Quebec on Saturday. Up to 40 centimeters of snow, sometimes mixed with rain, fell in certain regions, particularly north of the St. Lawrence River. In Montreal, however, the precipitation was less significant, with around fifteen centimeters.

“I’m a big fan of skiing, so it’s really cool that it’s snowing so much like that this week,” says Élise Larouche, who was doing her shopping on the Plaza Saint-Hubert at the time. The Press the crossing. “With the metro nearby, it’s still super easy to get around, especially since it’s a really pleasant area that’s becoming more and more family-friendly,” she notes.

Almost everywhere, customers flocked to the commercial artery at the start of the day despite the heavy snow. “Of course with the stroller, it’s a little more complicated, especially going to daycare. Sometimes it’s a bit of a battle,” says Amanda Truscott with a smile on her face.

That said, the mother mainly sees the positive behind the two consecutive snowfalls that occurred this week, Wednesday and Saturday. “We take the train when it snows too much and we avoid taking the car when it’s not necessary, so things are going relatively well. Otherwise, for the rest, we make the most of this beautiful snow. »

Coming from Longueuil for an appointment with the hairdresser, Stéphane Bronner was very happy with his winter experience.

“The sidewalks are all in all fairly well cleared of snow, I think, even if there are always some where it is more difficult. Above all, you can park easily as there are fewer people on the roads. You always have to be careful and adapt, but overall, things are going very well today,” he says.

Variable conditions

In total, around fifteen centimeters of snow fell in the Montreal region and almost everywhere in southern Quebec during the day on Saturday, with strong winds causing blowing snow in places. The rapid accumulation of snow made travel difficult in certain places and the snow sometimes mixed with rain, especially late in the afternoon for the entire Greater Montreal region.

“We had very variable conditions for the Montreal region. It was raining in Saint-Hubert and snowing at the same time in Dorval. It was cut with a knife,” explained Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault.

Outaouais received up to 30 centimeters. In the Quebec region, the heavy precipitation was accompanied by gusts of up to 80 km/h, causing intense blowing snow.

According to him, “what is especially remarkable is that we have two very similar broadsides in terms of precipitation over a period of only a few days.” “Snow will accumulate in several regions. It is here to stay,” he illustrated.

Estrie fared a little better, having received light snow during the night, notably in Sherbrooke, but it was mainly the strong winds from the southeast, accompanied by gusts to 90 kilometers per hour. , which caused problems on Saturday morning. These winds are similar to those that occurred last Wednesday.

In Trois-Rivières, in Mauricie, accumulations were of the order of approximately 25 to 40 centimeters of snow, with strong winds and blowing snow. However, conditions improved at the end of the day.

As expected, it was the regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent and those near Quebec that were affected more severely by the storm.

Several winter storm and storm surge warnings were still in effect at the end of the day 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 are expected near the coast.

Dangerous winter conditions were also forecast 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.

Difficult travel, canceled flights

The roadway was partially covered in Montreal and Montérégie, but road conditions were more difficult on Saturday in the northern crown of Montreal, in Laval, in the Laurentians and Lanaudière, where the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility reported roadways snowy and reduced visibility in several places.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) reported a few road accidents on the main roads of Montreal and Laval, mainly causing material damage.

Visibility deteriorated near Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches, where the SQ also reported a few road trips, sometimes causing injuries, but nothing serious. The road was snow-covered, with reduced visibility, in Beauce, the MTQ data also specified.

Several flights were delayed at Montreal’s Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport and a few were canceled, especially towards the United States.

With The Canadian Press