The heart of winter in Quebec is the coldest time of the year. It begins on Jan. 6 and ends around Valentine’s Day—Feb. 14. On average, these are the coldest five weeks of the year.
Montreal, however, hasn’t recorded a minimum temperature below -20°C since February 2023. This season so far, the coldest temperature recorded was -17.8°C on Dec. 26, 2024.
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Eastern Canada upper level pattern, cold air, trough – Jan. 10, 2025
Time to grit your teeth
You’ve probably noticed how unpleasant the cold is these days. The bitter cold is particularly hard to bear with the added presence of humidity and wind.
The next two weeks are shaping up to be quite similar in terms of cold temperatures. In fact, the typical January warm spells we see don’t seem likely this year.
Quebec coldest temperatures so far this season – Jan. 10, 2025
It should be noted, however, that the eastern part of the province is currently experiencing some mild conditions. On Jan. 8, the thermometer read -11.2°C in Montreal and 3.9°C in Sept-Îles.
In any case, a return to near-seasonal normality is expected over the next few days in Quebec, but the bitter cold hasn’t said its last word.
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Bitter cold returns in full force
Next week, the Arctic air mass is set to make a strong comeback. As the jet stream pushes well south of the border, Quebec will find itself engulfed in the cold, with below-normal temperatures dominating.
With highs hovering around the -10°C mark and lows slightly lower, meteorologists are calling it a bitter cold.
Southern Quebec temperature overview next two weeks – Jan. 10, 2025
The presence of clouds and humidity has prevented the temperature from dipping below -20°C in southern Quebec thus far, but according to the models, a deep cold is expected late next week.
Could this be the first -20°C for Montreal since February 2023? We’ll have to wait and see.
This article was translated from MétéoMédia, The Weather Network’s Quebec-based sister station.
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