Sorry, Montreal: Winter weather is coming back with up to 30 mm of freezing rain this week

For the first time in a long time, Montreal’s weather is actually pleasant. Temperatures are climbing up to 14°C, the sun is coming out this afternoon, and it almost feels like winter might be over.

It’s not.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Monday morning, warning that a potentially critical freezing rain event is headed for the city Wednesday into Thursday. A total of 20 to 30 millimetres of accumulation is expected over a 24-hour span, which is more than enough to coat everything in ice and bring parts of the city to a standstill.

Power outages, caused by ice buildup on trees and electrical lines, are also likely. Roads and sidewalks will get dangerously slick, and you can expect a mess when it comes to transit and travel.

The latest advisory covers a wide stretch of southern Quebec, including Greater Montreal, Montérégie, Outaouais, the Laurentians, Lanaudière, Mauricie, Centre-du-Québec and the Quebec City region.

But what makes this forecast particularly rough is what comes after. Temperatures are expected to stay cold in the days following the event, which means whatever ice builds up won’t be going anywhere fast, and getting services back to normal could take longer than usual.

The rest of the week isn’t much to look forward to either. After the freezing rain on Wednesday, Thursday brings periods of snow and wind. By Thursday night, temperatures could drop all the way down to -12°C. Flurries are in the forecast through the weekend, with temperatures hovering around zero.

So if you had an appointment booked to remove your winter tires on March 15, you may want to postpone it.

Environment Canada is recommending people delay or cancel non-essential travel during the event. In the meantime, keep checking the forecast. Severe weather can be reported by email at QCstorm@ec.gc.ca.