15 cm of snow or a few flakes? The snow does as it pleases.

Published on January 14, 2025 at 1:00 p.m.

Some will have to shovel this Tuesday while others, a few kilometers away, will only have to sweep. The snow will choose precisely where it will fall. Forecast.

The snow doesn’t let go

Snow has been falling in certain areas of Quebec since yesterday and will continue throughout the day on Tuesday. Early Tuesday morning already 5 cm recorded at the Montreal airport. In Estrie the quantities are more variable. In Granby we have already recorded 6 cm while Sherbrooke only received 3 cm. The areas south of the St. Lawrence River will be the most affected by this snowfall. Conditions on highways 10, 20, 55 and 73, as well as on secondary roads, will need to be monitored.

SEE: The snow deficit is hurting many people

Up to 15cm

In total, accumulations should reach 5 to 10 cm in Estrie, Beauce and Chaudière-Appalaches, around 5 cm in the other sectors of the south of the province, but could reach 15 cm in very specific sectors, i.e. near the Lake Memphremagog.

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Selective snow

It is above all a fairly convincing wind which blows from west to east which is responsible for this somewhat incongruous situation. The system therefore passes from the Saint Lawrence valley to the Richelieu valley, then hits the Appalachian mountains. There is therefore a certain lifting, a bit as if the system were passing over a launching ramp or a freestyle ski jump, which allows the air to lift and promotes the formation of snow bands then the snow forms in reaching colder air. These bands of snow, however, risk stagnating a little in these sectors, notably Bromont, Sutton or Granby. The snow will therefore fall there for a slightly longer period. Subsequently descending to the other side of this Estrie mountain range, the air dries out a little and limits accumulations in areas such as Sherbrooke or Coaticook.

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Good gusts

Speaking of winds, they will be quite strong, with gusts approaching 40 km/h. Visibility could therefore be reduced during snowfall, and snow removal from the roadway could be a problem, as snow pushed to the side could be blown onto the roadway. Caution is therefore advised when traveling south of the St. Lawrence on Tuesday.

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