December storm brings heavy rainfall to southern Quebec

It’s raining, it’s pouring and the snow is slowly melting in Quebec.

Environment Canada issued a warning Monday to say a swath of the province could see up to 100 millimetres of rain by the next morning.

With winter around the corner, the weather agency warned that the frozen ground has a “reduced ability” to absorb the heavy rain.

“Mild temperatures will cause the snow cover to melt, which will further contribute to runoff and raise the water level of some rivers. Fog patches may accompany the rain,” the rainfall warning issued Monday reads.

Urgence Quebec said some areas could see flooding, power outages and landslides in the coming hours and asked citizens to inform their towns of “any abnormal situation.”

Rising floodwaters forced some road closures in the Capitale-Nationale, Chaudière-Appalaches and Montérégie regions in the later afternoon. Ste-Catherine, an off-island suburb south of Montreal, closed off a section of St-Laurent Boulevard as water levels rose in the St-Régis River.

The Montreal and Laurentians regions could be spared from the worst of the unseasonable storm with up to 80 millimetres of rain expected. Montreal was hit with 77 millimetres of rain by 2 p.m., according to Environment Canada.

Quebec City, meanwhile, could see up to 100 millimetres. In the Charlevoix mountains, amounts could reach 140 millimetres.

Around noon, Quebec City said its crisis management team is monitoring rivers for flooding. The situation is stable, but teams are in contact with residents in at-risk areas.