Potential weather bomb: consequences all the way to Quebec from Sunday

A hectic start to the week

A powerful system, developing on the East Coast of the United States, will move towards the Eastern provinces and could leave up to 30 cm of snow in its path between Sunday evening and Monday. New Brunswick and the Gaspé Peninsula would be particularly affected.

At the time of writing, the system would have a good chance of turning into a weather bomb. On one side, arctic air descends on Quebec and on the other, very mild air hovers over the Atlantic. This strong contrast in temperatures thus offers conditions conducive to the formation of a weather bomb. This would be the second of the season for the east of the country. Remember that to qualify a system as a weather bomb, its atmospheric pressure must drop by at least 24 hectopascals in less than 24 hours. This drop in pressure illustrates a rapid intensification of the system.

Critical moments

The system would enter the Maritimes during Sunday evening and its effects would be felt from Estrie to Chaudière-Appalaches: light to moderate snow could occur. The system, which should continue its course eastward, should affect Gaspésie during the day on Monday. However, precipitation could fall more intensely there at times.

By Monday evening, between 15 and 20 cm are expected for the Gaspé Peninsula and between 5 and 15 for Estrie. However, these accumulations could be greater in mountainous terrain.

Note that the snow, which would be dry and volatile, could accumulate quickly due to the cold air generated by the passage of the front. The winds could also cause episodes of blowing snow in places, mainly in the east of the province. New Brunswick would be particularly affected by this weather bomb: more than 30 cm are expected in places.

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