Montreal is kicking off December with a bang, and not the festive kind. After Sunday's snowfall, the city is now sliding straight into a deep freeze that will linger all week, according to the weather experts at Environment Canada. By Thursday, wind chills could make parts of the region feel close to -25°C, which is unusually harsh for the first days of December.
MétéoMédia's latest Quebec weather update did not sugar-coat it, saying Montreal could register its first -10°C of the season as early as Monday evening. Meteorologists are also warning of a late-week chill that will hit harder than most people are ready for. In their words: "Thursday, the city could see a low of around -15°C with wind chills near -25. That would be quite striking for the first week of December."
The cold arrives right on cue
The timing is almost spooky. Meteorological winter officially begins today, December 1, and so does the cold. MétéoMédia notes that Montreal typically sees its first -10°C around November 30, meaning this dip is landing practically on the nose. Other parts of Quebec are getting an even ruder introduction. Certain areas of the Laurentians could scrape temperatures near -20°C early this week, a milestone usually tied to Christmas, not the first Monday of December.
This week's weather forecast
Environment Canada's latest forecast confirms that Montreal is heading straight into a multi-day chill, with very little in the way of a warm break:
Monday, Dec 1
Clearing skies and falling temperatures. High of -7. Wind chill near -11.
Tuesday, Dec 2
Light snow, high of -5. Feels like -9.
Wednesday, Dec 3
Periods of snow and a brief warmup to 0°C, followed by a sharp drop at night to -10.
Thursday, Dec 4
Sunny, but brutally cold. High of -8 and a morning low near -15 with wind chills around -25.
Friday, Dec 5 through Sunday, Dec 7
Cloudy, occasional flurries, and daytime highs staying below freezing, finishing the week with -9 on Sunday.
Winter isn't wasting any time
Cold snaps this early in December aren't unheard of, but this one is arriving like it has somewhere to be. MétéoMédia points out that if the -20°C readings push farther south than expected, it would be considered early compared to historical averages. For Montrealers still adjusting to shorter days, icy sidewalks, and scraping car windows again, consider this your not-so-gentle reminder that winter has clocked in.
If you were rocking that fall jacket until now, it's officially time to bring out the coats, gloves, and maybe even that balaclava you swore you'd never wear again: you will be needing them.
