The month of October is expected to be a mild one in Quebec with above-normal temperatures, but don’t wait until the last minute to put on your winter tires because that fluffy white stuff could come sooner than you think, according to the Weather Network.
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With mild autumn sun and temperatures above seasonal norms expected for the next two months, snow could start falling quickly after as the province heads into a harsh, long winter.
“We could be quickly surprised, we could go from one extreme to the other. Make your appointment to change your tires from mid-October,” warned André Monette, chief meteorologist at Météo Média.
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In a few weeks, “a dome of cold air” coming from the Hudson Bay could descend to southern Quebec, and “there will be a battle between the dome of fresh air and the heat in the southern United States,” said Monette, who predicts that temperatures should not drop below normal over the next three months.
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However, “the cold air dome from Hudson Bay will eventually win this battle and will become increasingly important as the winter season progresses,” according to the meteorologist.
“There is a risk of having a fairly hard winter, especially in the second half. From January, February and March, we could be really below normal,” said Monette, emphasizing that the forecast could still change.
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In contrast, a “hot-air bubble” from the Pacific will allow residents on the West Coast to enjoy temperatures above the seasonal norm for the coming months.
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Quebecers can hope for a white Christmas, according to Météo Média, not ruling out a similar scenario to last year, which saw episodes of warmth in between the very cold temperatures of November and December, creating very icy conditions for several regions.