From an ice storm to nice and warm, here’s how Montreal has changed in a week in images | CBC News

Just a week ago, Montrealers couldn’t imagine doing yoga in the park or sipping seltzer on a terrasse. They were bundled in parkas as the worst ice storm in 25 years hit Quebec and left millions without power. But this Wednesday, the sun was shining and the temperature hit a record 27 C.

Xavier Baghdadi took the opportunity to bust out his guitar and finger pick in the park.

“It’s beautiful outside, as long as there’s trees and parks and a little peace, that’s a treasure to have,” he said.

“I’d say the ultimate pleasure is just walking around Montreal, which is already like a big playground.”

Erika De Lisle kept an eye on the weather all week and already picked out the dress she would wear to grab drinks on a terrasse with her friends after her university presentation. Just a week ago, she had no power.

“We’re enjoying the weather, it’s really hot and we’re having a lot of fun,” she said.

“It’s been a week! So the change is really intense and it’s scary to know it’s from climate change, but I also really enjoy the warmer weather.”

The record temperatures coming just a week after a torrent of freezing rain is “beyond description,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.

“I’ve been in the business 50 years, I have never seen a period of April so boisterous and chaotic and turbulent. It just shows you how cruel April can be,” he said.

“These temperatures we’re seeing today, this is what you expect on July 1. This is really nature showing its craziness.”

The warm air is blowing through Canada from the United States — thawing the ground and melting icy rivers.

But we can’t expect the warm weather to stay after this week, Phillips said.

He says this week’s warm weather is a “dress rehearsal” and a “preview” of summer, but the temperature is set to cool again in a few days.

As of next week, Phillips says Montreal can expect a return to more seasonable weather conditions. That means highs of about 11 C and lows close to the freezing mark.

In the last three years, Montreal has seen five days of frost and three days of snow after April 13.

“Winter’s last hurrah might come over one or two days, but those are short days, maybe wet snow or cold rain, we will not get back to the real frigid stuff,” said Phillips.

But the effects of the ice storm are still felt as tree branches litter parks and streets.

“People in Montreal are still feeling the effects of that sort of ice storm and kind of can’t all enjoy the warm weather,” said Phillips.

“You’re not bringing out your golf clubs when you don’t have electricity or you’re still cleaning up broken trees from that ice storm.”