The missing Quebec boat: a strange and persistent situation

Significant deficit

Snow on the ground in Quebec is currently in the spotlight. As spring break approaches, some activities may even be compromised in areas south of the metropolis. In Montérégie and Estrie, snow cover is almost zero. We only observe 2cm in Sherbrooke. This unusual situation has lasted for several weeks and is not expected to improve by the end of the season, according to models.

Thin layer

Strange as it may seem, New York currently has more snow in February than Montreal. In fact, US megalopolises record 11 cm while Quebec City has only 8 cm. This weekend, the passage of a system could produce a few centimeters of snow for the metro area, but this amount clearly won't be enough to close the gap from normal that has been expanding for a month.

Bad roads

When the snow comes, Quebec misses the boat. If you're a fan of winter activities, you'll surely be disappointed to learn that big systems take a path too far south for the province to get its share of snow. In many cases, seaways inherited these large accumulations.

Extraordinary softness

Since the beginning of 2024, temperatures in Quebec have been unusually mild. In fact, almost all of Canada records a positive anomaly. In some areas, the temperature will reach 10 degrees Celsius above normal. Atmospheric conditions affect snow in two ways. On the one hand, the cold pushes the jet stream farther south and systems avoid Quebec. On the other hand, light bursts cause the precipitation to change to rain.

In collaboration with Bertin Ozonen, meteorologist.

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