The province of Quebec will be hit hard by a severe winter storm starting Tuesday evening that could dump up to 40 centimeters of snow across much of the territory by Wednesday afternoon.
Between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon, no less than 25 to 40 centimeters of snow should accumulate in central Quebec, covering in particular the Capitale-Nationale region and the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, but also other areas to the west such as the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Saint-Jérôme, with a thick white carpet, according to Environment Canada forecasts.
The federal agency recommends “postponing all non-essential travel until conditions improve,” noting in particular “heavy snowfall” that could drastically reduce visibility at times.
The eastern sectors will not be spared, while Environment Canada also predicts snow drifts between 20 and 40 centimeters, particularly in the Amqui, Baie-Comeau, Sept-Îles – Port-Cartier and Rimouski regions.
In the Abitibi and Témiscamingue region, however, around fifteen centimeters of snow can be expected.
However, a weather cocktail of 10 to 20 centimeters of snow is expected to fall in the Gatineau region, turning to freezing rain overnight, resulting in dangerous road conditions.
In the metropolitan area of Montreal up to Drummondville, Saint-Hyacinthe and Beauce, an accumulation of 10 to 15 cm of snow and sleet is expected to quickly turn into rain on Tuesday evening as the mercury rises, not without transitioning to freezing rain, the federal agency said.
A strong wind warning is also in effect on the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, where gusts can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h.
Here are the projected accumulations by region:
10 to 15 centimeters of snow and sleet:
Beauce, Drummondville – Bois-Francs, Metropolitan Montreal – Laval, Richelieu Valley – Saint-Hyacinthe and Vaudreuil – Soulanges – Huntingdon
15 centimeters of snow:
Abitibi and Témiscamingue
10 to 20 centimeters of snow:
Gatineau
20 to 40 centimeters of snow:
Amqui – Matapedia Valley, Anticosti, Baie-Comeau, Blanc-Sablon, Chevery, Kamouraska – Rivière-du-Loup – Trois-Pistoles, Les Escoumins – Forestville, Matane, Minganie, Montmagny – L'Islet, Natashquan, New Carlisle – Chandler, Forillon National Park – Gaspé – Percé, Gaspésie National Park – Murdochville, Restigouche – Bonaventure, Rimouski – Mont-Joli, Manicouagan River, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts – Grande-Vallée, Sept-Îles – Port-Cartier and Témiscouata
25 to 40 centimeters of snow:
Charlevoix, Haute-Gatineau – Lièvre – Papineau, La Tuque, Lac-Saint-Jean, Lachute – Saint-Jérôme, Lanaudière, Laurentides, Mauricie, Mont-Laurier, Mont-Tremblant Park – Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Parent – Gouin Reservoir, Pontiac, Quebec, Laurentides Game Reserve, La Vérendrye Game Reserve and Saguenay