Freezing rain warning ends in Montreal; above seasonal temperature expected Monday

Icicles are reflected in water following an accumulation of freezing rain in Montreal, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

Several parts of Montreal were covered in ice on Sunday as the region was under a freezing rain warning, but it seems southern Quebec avoided the mess the ice storm created in Ontario.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a freezing rain warning, warning of up to 10 millimetres of ice accumulation over “several hours” on Sunday.

Overall, the accumulation was less than anticipated.

The weather warning ended shortly before 4 p.m. for the Montreal area. However, the Laurentians could see closer to 10 millimetres of freezing rain by the end of the evening.

Climatologist David Phillips says while Montreal dodged a bullet, the city could have a messy week ahead with the forecast calling for more rain on Monday and a high of 14 C.

“All this snow, freezing rain will melt,” said Phillips, noting that Monday’s high is seven degrees higher than normal.

“You don’t want to go to the flash freeze situation where you’ve got slippery surfaces as a result of the fact that that precipitation froze. By the middle of the week or the end of the week, we’re back up to double-digit temperatures again,” he said.

More than 350,000 customers in Ontario were affected by power outages, according to Hydro One, as the ice storm headed east on Sunday.