Published on February 26, 2024 at 11:04 p.m.
Updated February 27, 2024 at 12:00 p.m.
The few snow banks that adorn the streets of the metropolis are a thing of the past. Further north, the white carpet loses many feathers. Explanation.
Coup de grace
Only a few traces of snow are visible in southern Quebec. In Montreal you can only see them in the shadows of alleys and in the middle of parks. In Estrie the snow has practically disappeared. The dizzying temperature rise forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday will therefore be the death knell for these regions: in the mildest temperature, the mercury could flirt with 15 ° C.
Small white carpet, small green carpet
Further north there is still snow, although not enough. The arrival of a large facility on Wednesday will significantly reduce the snow cover on the ground. Locally, rainfall accumulations could be up to 50 mm, particularly in regions along the St. Lawrence River.
The cities of Saguenay, Val-d'Or and Sept-Îles are among the privileged because sporting activities are possible there at any time. However, if you compare the current level with the average, the statistics are quite revealing: almost twice the amount of snow is missing. Unfortunately, the snow carpet will remain on the hot seat for the next few days.
A touch of déjà vu
A similar situation occurred not long ago. Between February 23 and 26, 2017, an unusual heat wave occurred across the province, melting a very large portion of the snowpack.
In Hemmingford, the mercury reached a record high for February at 18.5 degrees Celsius. In total, almost fifteen centimeters of snow liquefied. A similar scenario awaits Quebec this week.
a little hope
Everything indicates that winter wants to leave sooner than usual. There is no chance of the snow cover recovering in the short or long term. Remember that the first week of March promises to be historic: it could be the mildest start to meteorological spring since meteorological data collection began. The only hope lies in the second half of March, when winter decides to reverse the trend.