Eastern Region
QUÉBEC
February was generally mild, with average temperatures slightly higher than normal. Snow conditions have improved in some areas since the last habitat report, with Québec City, Montreal and eastern townships receiving 33, 28 and 21 per cent more precipitation than normal, respectively, in February. In others regions, precipitation was close to or slightly below normal, although Saguenay region experienced a dry February. At the end of the month, snow on the ground was much below the average.
Since the beginning of March, temperatures have been colder than normal throughout the province, especially in eastern regions, which are approximately 3.5 C cooler than usual. March precipitation has been particularly abundant in Québec City and Montreal, which have received 51 and 34 per cent more precipitation, respectively, than the norm for this month.
The mean St. Lawrence water level at Sorel station started to increase and is now close to normal.
As of March 21, despite recent increases in precipitation, total winter snow precipitation for most of the province has been 30-40 per cent below average, except in Montreal, where it has been close to normal. Generally, snowpack is close to normal throughout the province. Slightly cooler temperatures and more snowfall are forecast for the end of March, which should help to maintain good habitat conditions.