Ten years after the infamous ice storm, the Montreal region's current weather might provoke fear in those who remember how quickly a little rain can turn into a frozen blanket.
But worry not, as meteorologists aren't forecasting freezing rain or extreme cold in the next couple of days.
The warm temperatures observed yesterday and expected today in the Montreal area aren't another omen of global warming, they add.
"A winter thaw is totally typical," Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux said, crediting warm winds from the southwest for the mild spell.
Hydro-Québec also quashed any ice storm-era fears that yesterday's power failure that affected Outremont and Nôtre Dame de Grâce were weather related.
About 9,000 customers in the two neighbourhoods lost power approximately 7:30 a.m. yesterday when tree branches came into contact with power lines. Electricity was restored by 10:30 a.m.
"It was a coincidence," Hydro-Québec spokesperson Jean-Philippe Rousseau said of the two power outages.
By midafternoon yesterday, the temperature in Montreal had reached 5C. It is expected to climb to 8C today and 10C tomorrow, with rain lasting until tomorrow evening, according to Environment Canada.
The Weather Network, the service used by The Gazette, predicts a high temperature of 9C today and tomorrow, with light rain.
About 10-15 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on Montreal by tomorrow night.
The most pressing concern is in the Laurentians, where Environment Canada has issued a warning of up to 40 millimetres of rain for the same period.
Given the wallop of snow that fell on the Montreal region in the past month and the rain that's in the forecast, fears of flooding aren't unsubstantiated.
The Quebec Public Security Department is watching the rivers surrounding Montreal. So far, the ice hasn't budged and water levels are within the normal range, Marc Lavallée, director in charge of Montreal, Laval, Lanaudière and the Laurentians, said yesterday.
A cold front expected Thursday will slow the thaw, he added.
Nevertheless, the city of Châteauguay yesterday asked residents to keep a close eye on water levels of the Châteauguay River, and to ensure sump pumps in their homes or businesses are working properly.
Residents of the Châteauguay Valley are no strangers to the threat of flooding, as high water levels have been recorded almost every spring since the beginning of this decade.
jlegatos@thegazette.canwest.com
A pothole in Montréal, Canada last year.
Major city roads across North America are suffering from an early surge in potholes due to the dramatic freezes and thaws this month, some several feet across and inches deep. The potholes are caused by water seeping into cracks during warm weather, and pushing concrete apart when it freezes. Traffic erodes chunks of concrete from the cracks to form holes that continuously grow larger.

While car repair shops are experiencing a boom in business, city budgets are being hit with the costs of patching potholes. Thierry Larivée, an infrastructure spokesman in Montréal, Canada, says about 20 pothole patrols are working throughout the city. They are expected to continue work until at least Friday.

Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County in Michigan, United States, reports problems on unpaved roads as well. "The warmer weather is also playing havoc with gravel roads; the top layer of dirt thaws, but remains frozen about 10 inches below the surface. Surface water has no place to go. This creates a rutted, soupy road, especially in low-lying areas."

Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux attributes the unseasonable thaw to warm winds from the southwest. Environment Canada predicts a new cold front on Thursday.