Published on January 22, 2025 at 12:59 p.m.
Still snowing, but still light accumulation. But be careful, this fine, dry snow can be surprising on the roads. Forecast.
Systems that ignore Quebec
The systems that bring a big broadside to Quebec almost always come from Colorado, the south or the southwest of the United States, which in the jargon are called American continental synoptic storms. Since the start of winter, these depressions have avoided Quebec. They were instead pushed south, and it was the regions of the Midwest or Northeast of the United States that were most significantly affected. Quebec received almost exclusively clippers, these depressions which cross the prairies and therefore contain much less humidity.
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The clipper ride
It is once again a clipper which will sweep through Quebec on Wednesday. It touched the Great Lakes, and thus did not have the chance to drink from them. The accumulations of snow that this clipper will deposit will therefore be very modest. We are talking about 2 to 4 cm in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 5 to 8 cm in Outaouais, 2 to 5 cm in the Laurentians, and less than 3 cm in Quebec, Saguenay and the Montreal region. Estrie and Beauce should see at most traces of snow.
A sneaky snow
But without making any puns, this fine snow should not be taken lightly. The asphalt is cold on all the roads in Quebec, the tires are just as cold, so grip is already reduced. This fine snow accumulates more than wet snow and can be blown away very easily. A roadway can therefore appear clear, then be covered with snow in a few moments. In addition, the risk of blowing snow will be present and can suddenly reduce visibility. We will particularly monitor Highway 50, which already presents more than its share of risks even when conditions are favorable. We will also keep an eye on highways 15 and 40.
With the collaboration of Nicolas Lessard, meteorologist.
Canada
