Wild temperature swing to mark the end of February

Winter weather in Montreal. (Allen Boguslavsky/pexels.com)

The final days of February are expected to feature record-breaking warmth, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued special weather statements across much of the province, warning of the temperature rollercoaster, which could lead to a rapid freeze and potentially slick conditions later this week.

Daytime highs on Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be record-breaking in Montreal, climbing into the double digits. The high on Tuesday is expected to hit 12 degrees Celsius, which would break the previous record of 10.9 C set in 2000.

The high on Wednesday is forecast to hit 14 C, which would break the previous record of 8.3 C in 2017.

The normal high for the end of February is -2 C.

A system moving into the province will bring periods of rain Tuesday night into Wednesday along with the warmer air. Montreal could see 15 to 20 millimetres of rain, which would melt any existing snow and could cause ponding on the roadways.

A sharp cold front will swing through the region Wednesday night causing temperatures to plummet. The low Wednesday night will drop to -11 C, back to near seasonal values, but the rapid freeze will cause icy conditions and could make travel difficult.

Thursday will be a colder day, with daytime highs below average at -7 C. But temperatures will climb back up above the freezing mark for Friday, and daytime highs could be back into the double digits for the first weekend of March.