Winter 2026-2027 in Quebec: Here’s when the cold and snow will hit hardest

The patio furniture is still out, but Quebecers are already being told to prepare for snow.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac recently released its 2026-2027 winter forecast for Canada, giving us an early look at what the province can expect once the cold really sets in. According to the weather outlook, southern Quebec should see a milder start to the season, but that doesn’t mean the province gets off easy this year.

Temperatures are expected to run above normal for the winter overall, with the coldest stretches forecast for early to mid-January and again in mid- to late February. So anyone hoping to dodge the deep freeze should circle those weeks now.

Precipitation is projected to land below normal for the province, but snowfall tells a different story. The Almanac calls for near to slightly above normal snowfall in southern Quebec, spread across several windows: mid- to late December, mid- and late January, mid- and late February, and even stretching into early and mid-March.

Quebec’s outlook looks a lot like other parts of the country this year. Most of southern Canada is expected to see a gentler winter overall, while a broad stretch of central Canada, along with both coasts, gets hit with more snow than usual. Atlantic Canada, southern Ontario, the northwestern Prairies through B.C., and southern Nunavut are all lined up for above-normal snowfall right alongside Quebec.

“Canada is simply too vast for a one-size-fits-all winter forecast,” Carol Connare, editor-in-chief of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, said in the report.

Long-range outlooks like this one are more of a general guide than a guarantee, so it’s still worth keeping tabs on shorter-term updates from Environment Canada and MétéoMédia as the season gets closer.

Either way, if you’re someone who likes to get ahead of things, this might be the year to book that winter tire appointment before the first flakes actually fall.

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