Québec gets its first taste of winter with snow, near-zero visibility and 100 km/h winds

Great news for snow-lovers.

The system that brought the first snowflakes of the season to parts of Québec is expected to move on by the end of the day—but not before making its presence felt.

According to a report by Météo Média, snow-covered roads, reduced visibility and powerful wind gusts are giving parts of Québec an early taste of winter. Here’s the latest.

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On Tuesday morning, cameras monitoring Québec’s road network confirmed that snow has arrived, particularly along Highway 175 in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and Highway 169 near Lac-Ministuk.

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Visibility may be reduced in some areas, marking the return of those familiar winter-driving conditions even though we’re still well ahead of Québec’s December 1 deadline for vehicles to be equipped with winter tires.

The cold air moving in behind the system is helping turn precipitation from rain to snow in some areas. By Tuesday afternoon, higher elevations in the Gaspésie region could see 5 to 10 cm of snow, while parts of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve could receive more than 10 cm in total.

Snow is also possible over the next few hours along the North Shore, particularly inland towards Labrador.

Despite the snowfall reported between the Québec City and Saguenay regions—including along Highway 175—neither city has officially seen its first snowfall of the season yet. Val-d’Or, however, can check that box after recording its first snow on Monday, October 5.

Strong winds are coming, too

The system may be on its way out of Québec by the end of Tuesday, but it’s not leaving quietly.

Wind warnings are in effect across several areas of eastern Québec, particularly the North Shore, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie and the Magdalen Islands, as well as parts of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.

Tuesday afternoon and evening, wind gusts approaching 90 km/h are possible in Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie. On the Magdalen Islands, gusts could approach 100 km/h.

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Keep in mind that these powerful winds could also lead to power outages.

For more information about the Météo Média report click here.

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