Published February 17, 2024 at 12:56 p.m.
An Alberta Clipper is arriving in Quebec this weekend. It brings its classics: moderate snowfall, noticeable gusts, followed by falling temperatures. Forecast.
Minor contribution from the Great Lakes
Coming from western Canada, this system will move into the province overnight Saturday into Sunday. An Alberta Clipper typically leaves behind moderate snow accumulations unless it has the opportunity to pick up moisture while crossing the Great Lakes. The clipper will pass north of the Great Lakes, and since the ice cover there is very weak, southwesterly winds could bring some humidity. So these are moderately falling snow bands.
Persistent snow
Some areas could see some more persistent snowfall Sunday afternoon. This will be the case for the Pontiac, Haute-Gatineau and Hautes-Laurentides region. These are the regions where between 5 and 10 cm of snow could fall by Sunday evening. This band of more persistent snow could extend into the Quebec and Beauce regions. We forecast between 3 and 5 cm of snow for Abitibi, Montreal, Gatineau and L'Estrie. The Saguenay will be touched by the system and should receive no more than 3 cm of snow.
Up to 50 km/h
Such systems are often accompanied by significant gusts. These could reach 40 to 50 km/h in the south of the province, in Outaouais and Montérégie. The dangers of blowing snow should therefore not be neglected. Even if just 2 inches of snow falls, wind could move that light snow and cause larger accumulations on the roads. Sometimes visibility can also be a problem.
A very thin carpet
So we're a long way from a storm, but this moderate snowfall could double the amount since early February in certain areas. Quebec has received just 6 cm of snow since February 1st. Normally 34 cm falls from February 1st to 16th. The deficit is therefore significant. In Montreal there has been hardly any snow at 8 cm since the beginning of the month. We are still a long way from the average of 29 cm for this period. In Val-d'Or and Gaspé the numbers are closer to the seasonal average. In Val-d'Or, 21 cm of snow fell, while the average is 20 cm. In Gaspé, the 34 cm that fell is close to the normal value of 43 cm.
In collaboration with Kevin Cloutier, meteorologist