Montreal’s getting hit with prolonged freezing rain — and power outages are possible

Montreal’s white Christmas was picture-perfect, but the weather is about to take a nasty turn. And if you’ve got plans for Monday, you might want to rethink them.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Montreal (and surrounding areas), warning of a potentially nasty freezing rain event that could make travel dangerous and even knock out power.

The freezing rain is expected to start overnight Sunday and continue through Monday, possibly lasting all day. There’s also a chance of ice pellets mixed in with the freezing rain.

What to expect

According to Environment Canada, the ice buildup could cause tree branches to break and make road conditions difficult if not downright hazardous. The agency is specifically warning that conditions “may be conducive to power outages” — which is never what you want to hear, especially during the coldest time of the year.

The weather event is being caused by an intense low-pressure system moving through the Great Lakes region. The special weather statement covers not just Montreal, but also Témiscamingue, Outaouais, Laurentides, Lanaudière, Montérégie and the southern Eastern Townships.

Environment Canada is advising people to “consider changing any non-essential travel plans for this period.”

The weekend looks better

Before Monday’s mess arrives, the weekend should be relatively calm. Saturday will see clearing skies with a high of -9°C, though the morning wind chill will make it feel like -22°C. Sunday looks even nicer with sunny skies and a high of -9°C.

But Sunday night is when things start to go downhill, with periods of snow beginning before the freezing rain moves in overnight.

Still some uncertainty

Environment Canada notes there’s still some uncertainty about exactly how long the freezing rain will last and how much ice will accumulate. They’re asking people to keep checking for updates as the weekend progresses.

As of 2 p.m. Friday, it was -15°C in Montreal with mostly cloudy skies and a wind chill of -22.