Montreal is about to get hit with a potentially serious ice storm, and Environment Canada is already calling it a high-impact event.
The federal weather agency issued an orange freezing rain warning for the Montreal Island area early Tuesday morning. The event could last up to 24 hours, according to the warning, and total freezing rain accumulations of 20 to 30 millimetres are expected.
Freezing rain is forecast to begin overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, with conditions persisting through Thursday. Wednesday is expected to see continuous freezing rain with northeast winds gusting to 50 km/h and a high of zero. Overnight into Thursday, freezing rain could transition to rain before clearing slightly, though the high on Thursday remains at zero.
Environment Canada says the conditions that follow won’t offer much relief either. Temperatures are expected to stay cold in the days after the storm, which the agency warns could complicate and delay the return to normal services.
“For context, it could be comparable to what we experienced in early April 2023,” Julien Pellerin, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, told Narcity Québec.
The warning covers a wide area beyond Montreal, including Montérégie, Lanaudière, the Laurentians, Outaouais, Mauricie, the Parc du Mont-Tremblant area, Drummondville, and Quebec City.
As for the impacts, transportation delays and cancellations, prolonged utility outages, and significant property damage from the weight of ice accumulation, including to buildings and trees, are expected. The agency is advising residents to avoid non-essential travel during the event and to use extreme caution if they do go out on foot or by vehicle.
Today still looks relatively mild, with a high of 10°C, some sun mixing with cloud this afternoon, and a 60 percent chance of showers late in the day. Rain showers are also possible this evening before freezing rain takes over after midnight, with an overnight low of minus 2 and a wind chill dropping to minus 9.
Looking further ahead, the weekend and into next week bring a messy mix: snow Friday night, rain or snow Saturday, snow again Sunday and overnight, and snow or rain by Monday.