Put your tuques back on: A spring storm — mixing snow and rain in places in places — will hit Quebec Saturday night. Between 15 and 25 centimeters of snow is expected in several regions, particularly north of the St. Lawrence River.
Posted at 5:33pm
Snow warnings are in place for several regions of Quebec, including the capital, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Beauce, Charlevoix, Estrie, Laurentides, Lanaudière and Mauricie. Between 15 and 25 centimeters of snow is expected to fall in these areas by the end of the day from Saturday to Sunday.
In places, precipitation will mix with rain, warns Environment Canada meteorologist Marie-Lou Payette.
Heavy snowfall began in Montreal late Saturday afternoon. Accumulation is likely to matter less due to above-freezing temperatures, Ms Payette points out. Also in the night from Saturday to Sunday the snow in the metropolis should turn into rain.
Lightning was recorded in several places in Montreal on Saturday afternoon, in Châteauguay, on Île Perrot and on the south coast of Montreal. The contrasts between the hot temperatures at ground level and the cold temperatures at high altitude created the instability favorable to lightning, Ms. Payette explains.
The sometimes heavy rainfall could affect visibility on the roads. However, winds should remain neutral to avoid drifting snow for motorists, the weather forecaster adds.
Precipitation intensity decreases as the system moves towards the east of the province. In Gaspé, for example, only between 2 and 4 centimeters of snow are forecast by the federal authorities.