After the snow… the rain! Quebecers living in the south of the province will be treated to a slippery and wet New Year’s Eve this year, when the temperature will be abnormally high for this time of year.
Decidedly, Mother Nature will not have given Quebecers any respite during the holiday season this year. After a Christmas Eve marked by a winter storm bringing heavy snowfall and squalls that plunged hundreds of thousands of Quebecers into darkness, including some who were still without power on Friday morning, New Year’s Eve will be in the rain this year in most parts of the southern part of the province.
In several sectors, including among others Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, the Outaouais region and the Mauricie region, rain precipitation could begin overnight from Friday to Saturday and continue until Sunday. On New Year’s Eve, the mercury will continue to rise. It will oscillate from one region to another in the south of the province around 5 to 8 degrees Celsius. “It’s still very high,” notes Simon Legault, who is a meteorologist for Environment Canada.
The average maximum temperature at this time of year is -5 degrees, he says.
“We risk breaking some temperature records, especially at night”, since the weather will remain mild after sunset, foresees Mr. Legault. One thing is certain, this period of festivities will be a little gloomy for fans of skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and other winter activities, since this rain and this temperature above the freezing point will wipe out part of the accumulated snow on the ground in many parts of the province, adds the meteorologist. “It’s not a very good start to the winter season,” he says.
Approaching records, without reaching them
In Montreal, the mercury is expected to reach 6 degrees Celsius on December 31, while intermittent rain will bother revelers wishing to celebrate the arrival of the new year in bars. However, no heat record will be reached in the metropolis, since in 1965, the temperature had reached 12.2 degrees on New Year’s Eve, equaling the record recorded 90 years earlier, in 1875.
In Quebec, the temperature could reach 7 degrees on Saturday, or 3 degrees below the record reached on the same date in 1936. Accumulations of 5 to 10 mm of rain are also expected in the national capital for New Year’s Eve. of New Year’s Day. A raincoat will therefore be required for residents who will take part in the many outdoor activities planned for Saturday evening in Old Quebec.
From 10 to 15 mm of rain should also fall on Saturday in Mauricie as well as in Outaouais, while the mercury will climb to 5 degrees in Saguenay and 7 degrees in Rimouski on Saturday. Further north, Abitibi-Témiscamingue could receive light snowfall on December 31.
Freezing Rain
A freezing rain warning has also been issued for a few sectors in Gaspésie as well as on the North Shore, where between 1 and 3 mm of ice is expected from this evening until Saturday morning. Simon Legault wants to be reassuring, however.
“These are not very large quantities, so it should not have a big impact on the electricity network”, indicates the meteorologist. This freezing rain, however, could make roads and sidewalks slippery, warns Environment Canada in an alert issued online.
Rainfall, by melting the snow, could also generate fog in places, says Simon Legault of Environment Canada. “For people who will have to travel, it can create difficulties. You have to be careful and be ready to change your movements, ”adds the meteorologist.