If spring seemed to have taken hold in southern Quebec in recent days, with several days of sunshine, winter has clearly not said its last word.
Environment Canada issued a snow warning Wednesday morning to warn that around twenty centimeters of snow are expected starting Wednesday evening in the south of the province, while areas further east will be more affected on Thursday.
According to the federal agency, in Montreal, an accumulation of 15 to 20 cm of snow is expected from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening. A first slice of 5 to 10 cm is expected to fall Wednesday evening, once the rain expected during the day has changed to snow.
The snow, which could be heavy at times, will continue on Thursday.
“The rapid accumulation of snow could make travel difficult in some areas. There could be significant repercussions on rush hour traffic in urban areas,” noted Environment Canada in its opinion, in a context where summer tires have been authorized on the roads since March 15.
The regions of Outaouais, Montérégie, Laurentides and Lanaudière will also be affected by this system. In Estrie, the quantities of snow could even be greater, while Environment Canada predicts that they could reach 15 to 25 cm.
Since temperatures will hover around freezing, the snow could be “very heavy and sticky.” Power outages will be possible in places, the federal agency said.
After the system passes, rain is expected to continue Thursday evening and Friday, before the sun returns for the weekend.
Central and eastern Quebec will not be spared by this low pressure system, but these sectors will be affected a little later.
According to Environment Canada’s weather report, the snow will begin on Thursday in the center and east of the province, where accumulations of 15 to 25 cm are also expected.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia should also expect a spell of snow. In northeastern New Brunswick, we could receive more than 30 cm of snow. In Nova Scotia, snow could fall until Saturday.
Here too, Environment Canada expects very wet and sticky snow. Maximum gusts of 70 to 80 km/h could be observed.