Alpine weather forecast

Windy and chilly

The low-pressure system developing along the US east coast is heading in a straight line towards the Strait of Belle Isle. It avoids the Gaspé Peninsula, but its effect will be felt mainly with northwesterly winds of 30 to 50 km/h, increasing in the afternoon to westerly winds of 50 to 80 km/h. The snowfall forecast for the system, heightened by the lake/ocean effect, is 5 to 10 cm, but it will be difficult to measure it on the ground as it will be swept across the leeward slopes. We’ll need to cover up well to go out, as temperatures will drop during the day, reaching -20°C in the mountains. The air mass covering our regions will mark the first bitter cold of the winter. The minimum will be -25 C on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, the westerly wind drops to 20 to 40 km/h with the low-pressure system well off Labrador. Snow showers will persist, with the river still free of ice giving a further 2 to 4 cm and associated clouds clinging to the mountains. Down jackets will still be essential, with a maximum around -20 C in the mountains.

On Wednesday, the ridge of high pressure that has built up over central Quebec slides eastwards. This will favor clear spells and a drop in the intensity of the westerly wind from 15 to 30 km/h. A few snow showers are still possible, and the mercury remains around -20 C.

On Thursday, the ridge collapses somewhat and the circulation shifts to the southwest at 10 to 20 km/h, pushing the mercury to near -15 C. Clouds high in the sky will let the sun shine through.

Winter has well and truly set in, and there’s not much change in sight for the next few days.

Forecast Confidence :

Confidence is generally good for the coastal system since all model indicate similar trajectory. Confidence drops for the amount of snow with a westerly circulation, as the lake/ocean effect is difficult to predict when the wind is intense. Confidence is good for a cold and relatively calm period thereafter.