Snow Squall Warning: Up to 10cm Expected – Affected Areas

In short:

• Several accidents and road exits reported Wednesday morning;

• Snow at times sustained Wednesday in southern Quebec;

• Snow squalls could suddenly reduce visibility when returning home;

• Temperatures rise Wednesday afternoon, but still below freezing.

Question of synchronism

Big storms are conspicuous by their absence this winter, but the snowfall brought by the famous clippers of Western Canada is taking over to cause problems on the roads of Quebec. And their sense of synchronism will once again be impeccable this Wednesday. We should be treated to two bursts of snow in several areas: one during the morning rush hour, and another in the afternoon for the return home. Several accidents and road trips have also been reported.

Slippery roads

This type of episode has become a classic of the winter of 2026: the passage of a clipper which leaves less than 10 cm on the ground, but which causes a range of incidents and trips off the road. All it takes is a thin layer of snow to make the roadway slippery, particularly in cold weather, as was the case Wednesday morning.

Reduced visibility

Light to moderate snow began to fall late at night in the Outaouais and the Laurentians, then gradually spread towards the Montreal region. Two factors were affecting road conditions Wednesday. First the cold temperatures at the start of the day. A cold road already offers less grip, and the situation can get worse with a thin layer of snow. And who says cold says powdery and volatile snow. Gusts that can exceed 40 km/h will not only reduce visibility significantly, but could also throw snow that has been blown to the side of the road. In short, a situation that motorists should not underestimate.

A second shot

We are also monitoring a second pulse of snow at the end of the day in the St. Lawrence Valley, from Montreal and its northern crown to Quebec. We are talking about more localized snow, but which could fall more heavily at times. Again, gusts could reduce visibility. We are talking about snow squalls, therefore sudden impulses which can surprise you on the roads. It would be wise to keep a good distance between vehicles from the afternoon onwards as snow can start to fall without warning and quite heavily for a short period.

Up to 10 cm

The accumulations will not be anything like a storm. We are talking about 5 to 10 cm for Outaouais, greater Montreal and the Capitale-Nationale. For Abitibi, the Laurentides, Mauricie, Beauce, Estrie and Montérégie, we are talking about accumulations of around 5 cm. In almost all other regions of Quebec, accumulations should be less than 5 cm.

With the collaboration of Kevin Cloutier, meteorologist.

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