From Montreal to Gaspésie, Quebecers suffered the same fate: being deprived of a white Christmas. But it is still too early to put away your skis, say resorts, who believe that the “best is yet to come”.
In the absence of 2 centimeters of snow on the ground on the morning of December 25, Christmas was rather green across the province. If the phenomenon is “a little more common” in Montreal, it is “extremely rare” in Gaspésie or Saguenay, explains Simon Legault, meteorologist at Environment Canada.
In these regions where the white Christmas rate is “95 to 98%”, residents have not seen grass on December 25 for “several decades”, he adds. And even if it is too early to draw a trend, we will have to get used to it, because it will become “a little bit more frequent […] in the context of climate change.
A green Christmas does not mean the end of winter, he reassures, even if he recognizes that the season has already fallen behind “difficult to make up for”.
“We will have snow every winter in the coming decades,” warns the meteorologist. But we will experience very significant variations: big storms, more significant mild spells, but also cold weather which can be surprising. »
Temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days, approaching seasonal norms. Two or three centimeters of snow are expected in Montreal and several regions of Quebec by the end of the week.
However, we will have to wait until the “second half of January” to hope for “perhaps more abundant quantities of snow”, even if Mr. Legault does not “see for the moment a well-organized or very vigorous system which would bring storms of snow “.
Optimistic ski resorts
The weather conditions of the last few days have had an impact on certain activities in the Massif de Charlevoix, such as sledding. “We would have liked [la] offer at this time of year. Unfortunately, due to these constraints, we had to cancel departures until January 4,” writes vice-president operations, Vincent Dufresne.
The latter is hopeful that all the mountain slopes will eventually be open “without any notable delay compared to previous years”. Mr. Dufresne maintains that despite the challenges, annual planning for the Massif de Charlevoix allows the team “to anticipate periods of mild weather and rain at the start of the season and to [se] protect against their harmful effects.
In Estrie, the marketing director of Mont Sutton, Nadya Baron, affirms that “the current days are quieter” than they usually are during this period. She points out that season pass holders have, however, spent more days skiing than on the same date last year, thanks to the snow that fell a few weeks ago.
Mme Baron believes, however, that “the best is yet to come” for his station. “The latest statistics show that people intend to ski this season […] and our snowmaking capacity has been doubled with recent investments,” she says.
“More than perfect” conditions for maple groves
The team at the Ferme Lacabert maple grove, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle, in Estrie, is also optimistic. The “fluctuations” between milder temperatures during the day and frosts at night are “ideal for the production of maple syrup,” explains co-owner Julie Lacasse.
Under the advice of the owners’ son and student in maple production, Mathias Hébert, the maple grove began to harvest syrup for the first time since 2019 in mid-December, rather than mid-February.
The milder temperatures also allow employees to tap trees in “less physically harsh” conditions, says M.me Lacasse, who explains that several large producers have gotten ahead this year.
They can also repair the tubing, damaged by wild animals and increasingly recurring wind storms, according to the owners. “This is our first big test before facing the spring. »
But “winter still has to come,” says employee Samuel Marois. Frosts are in fact essential “to move the sap in the tree,” explains Mathias. “When it doesn’t freeze, there is less and less sugar in the water, so it takes a lot of water to produce syrup. »
These episodes of cold must be combined with positive temperatures during the day to allow “the movement of the sap and the flow”, adds his mother Julie Lacasse. “We cannot do without winter to have the sugar season. »
Holidays in gray in Montreal
At the Grand Marché de Noël de Montréal, located in the Quartier des spectacles, passers-by strolled despite the gray weather of December 27. Dressed in thin coats, children hop between the kiosks.
In front of one of the buildings, Cléa Guerin confides that she finds the current temperature rather boring. The weather disrupted her holiday plans, because the one who has lived in the metropolis for about seven months had rented a chalet near Quebec City to practice winter activities. “We’re a little disappointed, I don’t really know what to do. »
Nearby, Jessica Aviles and her two daughters enjoy ice cream inside the Complexe Desjardins. The fact that a light rain is falling on Sainte-Catherine Street at this time is “strange”, underlines the mother. However, she had planned an outing sheltered from the vagaries of the weather, namely to attend the ballet Nutcracker at Place des Arts.
Nicole Carrier also opted for a cultural Christmas by purchasing tickets for a show at the Maison symphonique. Coming from Longueuil, she says she is not bothered by the absence of snow, because she “hates” the winter season. “It’s still a shame for those who like it,” she admits, mentioning that she has already experienced a green holiday season a few times. “But not as frequently as that.” It seems like every year, winter always gets smaller. »