Rain, freezing rain and heavy snow are expected in Quebec, while a major weather system will sweep across the entire province mid-week.
The storm will begin Tuesday afternoon in western Quebec and will sweep through the eastern part of the province during the evening. Total snow accumulations of 20 to 40 centimeters are expected in some areas, according to Environment Canada forecasts.
If the winter storm affects the entire province, the snow will turn into rain in the evening in certain places, particularly in southern Quebec, namely in Outaouais, Montérégie, Estrie and the Saint-Laurent valley. These regions can still expect to receive between 10 and 20 centimeters of snow.
For these areas, “the precipitation will change to rain on Wednesday morning and there is a risk of freezing rain during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday,” said Michèle Fleury, meteorologist at Environment Canada, in an interview with The Canadian Press Monday.
Difficult road conditions
Unsurprisingly, this storm could cause dangerous road conditions. The Environment Canada website indicates that roads, sidewalks and parking lots could become difficult to navigate and that visibility could be reduced.
According to Michèle Fleury, travel on Wednesday morning will be the most affected. “The rush hour Wednesday morning is going to be quite difficult everywhere in the province, but particularly in the corridor from the Ottawa Valley to the north of Montreal, [ainsi que] the northern crown and Laval, she warns. This would be the most favorable corridor to receive freezing rain and roads could be icy Wednesday morning. »
A return to temperatures close to seasonal norms is expected from Wednesday evening. However, other snowfalls are expected to fall on Quebec this weekend. It is too early to know if these will turn into rain for southern Quebec, and the trajectory of the system remains uncertain.
New Brunswick also affected
The storm will also sweep through the Maritime provinces on Wednesday. “There is heavy snow to be received on the New Brunswick side as well, particularly in the north of the province,” indicates Michèle Fleury.
Snow will spread northeast and cross the province early Wednesday morning, before changing to rain along the Fundy coast, according to the Environment Canada website. High water levels near high tide along the coast of Chaleur Bay could be caused by the storm, it is warned.