MONTREAL – Waking up to snow would be normal in say, March, but certainly not in mid-May.
Some regions in Quebec, such as Abitibi, got hit with up to 10 centimetres of snow.
The Eastern Townships woke up to a blanket of white powder and Montreal saw a few snowflakes, but no accumulation.
When parks are usually brimming with visitors, Mount Royal Park’s Beaver Lake was nearly empty.
Adding to the frosty high of six degrees Celsius – when the normal is 20 – were winds gusting up to 32 kilometres per hour.
“On the mountain, it was like ‘poof’,” a child said about the winds.
“We thought it was a bus at one moment.”
For some, the wintry weather meant adjustments were in order.
READ MORE: Snowy owl captures hearts in Montreal’s West Island
Some chose to tackle Mother Nature’s moodiness with a dose of irony.
“It’s wonderful, it’s really wonderful,” said a man who was out for a walk, clearly joking.
Others simply couldn’t hide their true feelings.
“It’s freezing!” exclaimed three tourists visiting from Calgary.
Montrealers couldn’t help but wonder why spring isn’t quite here yet.
“It’s been an exceptionally, cold spring,” said Marie-Éve Giguère, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
READ MORE: CAA-Quebec receives record number of calls due to cold weather
April was one of the coldest in record for Eastern Canada since the 1900’s and the cold lingered because the atmosphere “was blocked up.”
“Sometimes, I describe the atmosphere and the jet stream as the highway for storms. This spring, there’s been some traffic in the highway, let’s say,” Giguère explained.
Even with that out of the way, some needed someone to blame.
“Està loca,” which translates to “she’s crazy,” said a Guatemalan tourist, referring to Mother Nature.
“Stop, smarten up,” said another tourist.
“Change your style,” commanded a walker on Mount Royal.
However, at least one weather specialist owned and and decided to take all the blame.
“Our own family members, our own colleagues are pointing fingers and saying it’s our fault,” jokingly said Global’s weather specialist Jessica Laventure on May 16’s Global News at Noon forecast.
“So you know what? Fine. Be it, it’s my fault but I’m dressed for it and I’m ready,” she continued while she gave her forecast all wrapped up in a thick scarf, a hat and mittens – while being indoors.
Though this kind of weather might be worrisome for some, it doesn’t seem it’ll stick around.
“It seems like those would be the last flakes we see in Southern Quebec and Eastern Ontario for this season,” confirmed Giguère.
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