With Canada undergoing a temperature swap this week, there’s another interesting scenario taking shape in the eastern half of the country.
The Great Lakes region is undergoing a period of frigid temperatures, likely to be the coldest of the season so far. Farther east, Quebec and the East Coast will see a blast of wintry weather due to an abnormal track of a storm.
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Pressure tracker in Quebec and Atlantic Canada on Thursday_Jan. 6
A strong blocking pattern over the North Atlantic means that the powerful storm that tracked into parts of the East Coast over the weekend will meander over Atlantic Canada for most of this week as it slowly weakens, instead of tracking out to sea. The results will be a prolonged period of snowfall for parts of Quebec and the East Coast.
What’s coming for Quebec and Atlantic Canada:
The upper-level low will spin over Eastern Canada, dictating the weather in that half of the country this week. The notable feature here is that the snow will move from east to west, which is uncommon. Typically, storms move west to east.
It will stalls and spin for days, bringing unsettled weather to Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Quebec Tuesday temperatures and icons
Snow is forecast across Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and will be off and on as the week progresses. For Quebec, the heaviest accumulations will be in the high elevations along the Gaspé Peninsula, with upslope wind direction. As a result, 30 cm of snow is possible.
Visibility will be suddenly reduced to near zero at times in heavy and blowing snow, so commuters should go slow and plan for extra time to get to their destinations.
Meanwhile, a burst of flurries will be possible in Montreal on Tuesday, creating slippery road conditions. Expect some impacts to travel.
Quebec and Atlantic Canada snowfall accumulations through Wednesday
Moving eastward, bands of sea-effect and system snow are expected across the Maritimes, reaching into northeastern Newfoundland through the week.
The heaviest snow for Cape Breton, N.S., with up to 40 cm still to come this week. Parts of P.E.I. could see 5-15 cm. Needless to say, expect significant travel interruptions.
Quebec and East Coast precipitation timing Wednesday evening
The heaviest precipitation will be across northeastern Newfoundland and Labrador, where some rain and widespread, heavy snow are likely with impressive totals. However, the easterly flow off the Atlantic will also keep temperatures well above seasonal, near freezing, with temperatures that will be milder at times than Nashville, Tenn., especially midweek.
With files from Rachel Modestino and Kevin MacKay, meteorologists at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates for Eastern Canada.