Weekly weather pattern update

Two significant snow events are coming into eastern Canada this week. Below are our latest snowfall forecast maps.

First storm

Second storm

We continue to see a slight north/west trend with the first storm, which means we may have to adjust the snow bands a touch more north and west into Ontario and Quebec. There will likely be some enhancement off Lake Ontario with the first storm, and that (Hamilton to St. Catharines area) is where I think we have the best chance of seeing over 40 cm. I believe areas in southeastern Quebec will be closer to the lower end of the 30- to 45-cm range due to the quick movement of the first storm.

The first storm will move in Monday night and linger into Tuesday then the second one will arrive later Thursday and continue into Friday.

Both storms look like all snow for Ontario and Quebec, while we may be dealing with a significant mix of snow, ice and rain over the Maritimes.

Looking ahead to the long range, the brutal cold that has taken hold across the Prairies and deep into the U.S. Plains will begin to fade late this week and especially next week as the high latitude blocking pattern breaks down and allows more Pacific air to spread across southern Canada and the U.S., while northwestern Canada stays in the ice box.

There are some indications that a weaker blocking pattern may come back by early March, which may limit the amount of warming that we get in southern Canada.