IT’S A MESS OUT THERE
About 10 centimetres of snow fell yesterday, turning to freezing rain and then rain last night. Environment Canada says to expect more rain today and then snow. The mix of precipitation could wreak havoc with snow-clearing operations.
Expect a wild weather ride over the next 24 hours.
On Wednesday, after about 10 centimetres of snow fell on Montreal, the temperature gradually rose and the snow turned to freezing rain in the evening.
It was expected to be followed by plain rain and even warmer weather, then yet more snow, according to Environment Canada’s forecast.
The rain is to continue for much of Thursday when the high is forecast to reach 3 Celsius.
Late Thursday afternoon, the rain should turn to snow as the temperature starts falling, Environment Canada said. The low for Thursday night is expected to be about -11 C.
The mix of precipitation could wreak havoc with the city of Montreal’s snow-clearing operation.
As of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, the city of Montreal’s website indicated it has hauled away just over half of the snow that has fallen since Sunday when about 23 centimetres of snow fell.
The freezing rain could force the city to slow or suspend snow-removal if streets and sidewalks are covered by a sheet of ice, Mayor Valérie Plante said Wednesday.
“We wish this weren’t coming because we are still carrying out snow removal,” she told reporters. “But that’s life and we have to deal with it.”
She said “the city has to decide where to put the priority, and obviously if there is freezing rain, that means spreading salt and abrasives.
“So I can’t tell you exactly what will happen. It’s not a precise science. Snow removal and de-icing really depend on the weather and the ability of crews to act rapidly.”
Wednesday’s weather swing saw the temperature rise from minus-13 C at 8 a.m. to zero at 8 p.m.
More temperature fluctuations are expected in the coming days. Environment Canada is forecasting daytime highs of between minus-5 C and minus-15 C between Friday and Tuesday.
The recent temperature roller-coaster has caused problems for the $40-million light installation on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. The system was not working for four days because of the dramatic temperature changes.
After repairs, it was back in operation on Tuesday night.