Published on December 19, 2024 at 11:24 p.m.
A big thrill this weekend in Quebec. In a context of climate change, this event has become a rarity in the far south of the province. Forecast.
Cold descent
A weather situation that Quebec has not experienced for a long time should dominate for a few days. Starting Friday, the mercury would be in free fall. An arctic air mass is believed to be the cause of this change in regime. This time, the cold surge would be strong.
Montreal plunged into the cold
The mercury could reach the threshold of -20°C in southern Quebec. If the Montreal-Trudeau airport station recorded such a low minimum during the night from Sunday to Monday, it would be a first in almost two years, since February 25, 2023. In addition, in December, a temperature this low has not been observed since December 19, 2019.
A rarity
The last cold winter that Montreal experienced dates back to 2021-2022. The metropolis recorded 19 days with -20°C during this season. The average for the last 30 years is 12 days. However, in a context of climate change, such cold minimums are increasingly rare.
Heat island
For Montreal, a minimum of -20°C is not guaranteed Monday morning. The urban heat island phenomenon risks slowing down the fall in mercury. Sectors on the outskirts are more likely to reach this threshold, notably the southern suburbs and the northern crown of the metropolis.
With the collaboration of Kevin Cloutier, meteorologist.
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