The heavy rainfall that has swept across southern Quebec since late Friday evening will continue Saturday and extend to the rest of the province, promising up to 40 cm of additional snow in places.
Environment Canada has issued several weather warnings with “snow warning” (10 to 15 cm) or “winter storm” (15 to 40 cm) in certain regions and even “storm surge” warnings of river and coastal flooding in places.
The north bank of the St. Lawrence River will be most affected by the low pressure system from Texas that will bring this storm to Quebec.
For these regions affected by storm surges, the federal agency reiterates that “the combination of these winds and the fact that we are currently in a period of high tidal amplitudes, there is a risk of flooding in several sectors along the coast in the neighborhood.”
Estrie should also see some precipitation, up to 2 inches of snow in places, but mostly rain, which could turn to freezing rain later in the day.
15 cm of precipitation and more snow are expected for the rest of the province, with the exception of the Montreal and Montérégie region, where precipitation will be milder.
“The rapid accumulation of snow will make travel difficult. During heavy snowfall, visibility may suddenly be reduced at times,” warned Environment Canada, which advises caution on the roads.
Snow amounts and warnings by region
- Abitibi: Snow warning (15cm)
- Amqui – Matapedia Valley: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Beauce: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Blanc-Sablon: Winter storm (15 to 25 cm)
- Charlevoix: Storm surge and winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Drummondville – Bois-Francs: Snow warning (15 cm)
- Estrie: Wind warning
- Fermont: Snow warning (15 cm)
- Gatineau: Winter storm (6 to 10 inches)
- Magdalen Islands: Wind alarm
- Kamourasaka – Rivière-du-Loup – Trois- Pistoles: storm surge and winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- La Tuque: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Lac-Saint-Jean: Winter storm (15 to 25 cm)
- Lachute – Saint-Jérôme: Winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Lanaudière: Winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Laurentide: winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Les Escoumins – Forestville: Storm surge and winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Mauricie: Winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Mont-Laurier: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Montmagny – L'Islet: Storm surge and winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Metropol Montreal: Snow warning (15 cm)
- Natashquan: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- New Carlisle – Chandler: Storm surge and winter storm (15 to 30 cm)
- Mont-Tremblant Park – Saint-Michel-des-Saints: Winter storm (15 to 25 cm)
- Forillon – Gaspé – Percé National Park: Winter storm (15 to 30 cm)
- Gaspésie National Park – Murdochville: Winter storm (15 to 30 cm)
- Parent – Gouin Reservoir: Winter Storm (15 to 30 cm)
- Pontiac: Winter storm (6 to 10 inches)
- Quebec: Storm surge and winter storm (20 to 30 cm)
- Laurentides Wildlife Reserve: Winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- La Vérendrye wildlife reserve: winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Restigouche – Bonaventure: Storm surge and winter storm (15 to 30 cm)
- Rimouski – Mont-Joli: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Manicouagan River: Winter storm (15 to 20 cm)
- Saguenay: Storm surge and winter storm (15 to 25 cm)
- Sept-Îles – Port-Cartier: Storm surge and winter storm (25 to 40 cm)
- Témiscamingue: winter storm (15 to 25 cm)
- Richelieu Valley – Saint-Hyacinthe: snow warning (15 cm)
- Vaudreuil – Soulanges – Huntingdon: Snow warning (15 cm)