Published on October 5, 2023 at 12:16 am.
On Thanksgiving, Quebec faces the worst of October. Forecast.
The best and the worst
Thanksgiving weekend comes at a time that can produce striking contrasts. The festival always takes place on the second Monday in October, between the 8th and 14th. Temporary heat waves can occur. However, paradigm shifts always remain possible. “Thanksgiving takes place during a rich and eventful time in terms of weather,” says meteorologist Réjean Ouimet. Often it is for the better and sometimes it is for the worse. These are also the dates with the highest frequency of heat waves in mid-autumn. We can therefore expect pleasant warmth at this time of year.
Everything in contrasts
Quebec sometimes experiences extreme temperatures on Thanksgiving. We have already seen days with a maximum of 25°C and even hotter. Some also experienced temperatures near freezing. In fact, the weekend occasionally marks a radical change: from hot to cold or vice versa.
“In 2016, the period from October 8th to 10th marks the end of a heat wave that lasted from the 3rd to the 8th,” says Réjean Ouimet. Saturday takes place under the tide; the maximum is reached at night: 18°C in Montreal. Cool weather then sets in with frost in several areas. In Abitibi we even see snowflakes.
The worst
Sometimes Quebec experiences its worst October on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, models suggest that this scenario is likely to occur. A turnaround is likely to occur after the heat wave that the province has been experiencing for more than a week. Cool and cloudy weather is on the radar. But the province of La Belle has also seen others.
“The first snowflakes fell in Montreal in 2001,” continues Réjean Ouimet. Accidents and road exits are reported. The weather is gloomy and very cool. We only have 10°C with rain on Saturday and snowflakes on Sunday. It falls by 5 cm in both the Laurentians and Granby. »
In collaboration with meteorologists Kevin Cloutier and Réjean Ouimet.