In southern Quebec, winds will pick up and snowflakes will build up in the next 24 hours from a winter storm that is already rocking the United States.
This new snowfall will hit Quebec on Wednesday evening, just in time for the school break.
During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, a few centimeters of snow are expected in the metropolitan area, accompanied by gusts of up to 50 kilometers per hour, explains André Cantin, meteorologist for Environment Canada.
But the rains won’t stop there. The snow will continue to fall throughout the day Thursday, until Friday night, for a total varying from 10 to 20 centimeters. All of southern Ontario will also be hit hard by this winter storm.
Thursday morning’s rush hour could be disrupted due to “widespread blowing snow reducing visibility to almost zero” in the areas of Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Varennes, La Prairie and Châteauguay, according to Environment Canada.
The Montérégie, particularly in the southwest of the province towards the border with the United States, could be more affected by the amount of precipitation, warns the meteorologist. Moving east and north, the weather system is expected to lose steam.
For example, in Mont-Tremblant, in the Laurentians, 5 to 8 centimeters of snow are expected, while in Quebec, 5 to 10 centimeters of snow could fall.
All sectors along the St. Lawrence Valley, from Quebec to Montreal, will be swept by winds that can reach 50 kilometers per hour, says Mr. Cantin. Blowing snow and slippery roads are therefore to be monitored from Wednesday night to Thursday.
Extreme cold in the north
Meanwhile, northern Quebec is hit by an episode of extreme cold. All Nunavik communities, as well as Shefferville and Fermont, have been under the influence of an arctic air mass since Monday, said Mr. Cantin.
In Nunavik, wind chill values could reach -52 to -56 overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, and -60 in the western part of Ungava Bay on Friday, warns Environment Canada.
This arctic air mass also triggers weather alerts further south in the province, notably in Chibougamau, Minganie, Blanc-Sablon, Matagami, Lac-Saint-Jean, Sept-Îles and Natashquan. In these sectors, wind chill values could drop to -38 to -45, the federal agency warned.
United States hard hit
In the United States, several states in the north of the country began to feel the effects of this winter storm on Wednesday.
Unprecedented snowfall is expected, even in a region accustomed to winter storms. It could fall up to 65 centimeters of flakes, and the heaviest accumulations are expected in east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, according to the US National Weather Service.
Squalls of 75 kilometers per hour are also expected, and the mercury could plunge to -46 with the wind chill, in the Dakotas and Minnesota.
PHOTO DAVID JOLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Snowplows clear lanes of a freeway in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
AccuWeather meteorologists also warn that sleet is possible along a 2,000+ kilometer strip between Nebraska and New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday, making travel perilous in cities like Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Boston.
Many schools have closed in several states, as have multiple businesses.
Officials have asked the public to avoid travel due to whiteout conditions that may prevail.
Record heat elsewhere
Meanwhile, unprecedented heat is forecast from Baltimore to New Orleans. Mercury could approach 27℃ Thursday in Washington, surpassing a record set in 1874. Abnormally hot weather is also predicted in Florida.
California was preparing for the arrival of a new winter storm that could dump rain, snow and hail across most of the state. Gusts of 75 kilometers per hour are possible along the central coasts and more than 100 kilometers per hour in the mountains.
More than 100,000 customers were without power across California midday Wednesday, according to PowerOutage. us.
A one-year-old toddler was seriously injured when a tree fell on a house in Boulder Creek, south of San Francisco. Rescuers had to cut up the tree before they could rescue the child, local media reported.
A blizzard warning will be in effect for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties between 4 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Friday.
Hundreds of flights disrupted
More than 2,200 flights were canceled across the United States by midday, also threatening to disrupt travel and connecting flights for Canadians.
Weather conditions also affect departures and arrivals in Canada. Air Canada has already delayed or canceled, Wednesday afternoon, more than 100 flights for the day – or about 23% of its daily offer. WestJet has postponed or canceled 91 flights, or nearly a third of its trips, according to FlightAware.
Jazz Aviation, which operates regional flights for Air Canada Express, canceled 75 of its Wednesday flights, or 16% of its supply.
“We are monitoring the weather and have made some schedule adjustments in anticipation of the storm, and this is continuing as the situation evolves,” Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email. noting that customers could choose to modify their booking or opt for a refund.
With Agence France-Presse and The Canadian Press