Southern Ontario, parts of Quebec see 1st snowfall of the year

Snow is falling on parts of southern Ontario and southern and central Quebec on Sunday with the potential for some regions to see up to 20 centimetres of snow.

After a warm, dry summer and a rather rainy fall, snow is falling in parts of Ontario and Quebec with forecasts showing some areas could receive a heavy dusting.

Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning on Sunday for parts of Ontario stretching from Belleville northeast to Ottawa, with between 10 to 20 centimetres of snow expected. Officials caution peak snowfall could fall at a rate of two to five centimetres per hour.

Similar amounts will also be seen in parts of southern and central Quebec, including Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City all the way up to Baie-Comeau.  Montreal, for example, could get nearly 10 centimetres through Monday.

According to officials, both provinces under snowfall warnings should expect the heaviest snow to occur late Sunday afternoon into the evening.

The areas south and east of Ottawa may also see snow mixing with ice pellets or freezing rain later in the day.

The snowfall is a shift from the drier conditions seen in the late summer and early fall, with significantly less rainfall than normal.

That lack of rain led to lower yields from crops ranging from apples to pumpkins.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 71 per cent of the country was classified as “Abnormally dry” or “Moderate to Extreme Drought” at the end of August, including 70 per cent of the country’s agricultural landscape.