With the end of winter in sight, Canadians are beginning to think about spring. In the latest projections from Environment Canada the trend is for a milder spring over the country with the only part of Canada where warmer than usual spring weather isn’t predicted during March, April and May is an area off the coast of Labrador.
Officials add that “everything is relative,” when it comes to what’s considered “milder than normal.” For example, in Arctic regions, a relatively warm day at the end of March might be –10 C, as opposed to a more typical –15 C. By late April, the daytime high could be around 0 C instead of –5 C.
In southern Ontario, southern Quebec and the Maritimes, people could see temperatures in the double digits by the end of March and beginning of April this year. Warmer spring conditions will likely reach more northern areas — such as Thunder Bay, Ont., Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton — around mid-April.
For many parts of of the country, Environment Canada says, spring this year will be a continuation of the milder-than-normal trend seen throughout the winter, largely due to the effects of El Nino. The phenomenon happens every two to seven years, when waters in the Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual.
El Nino tends to have its strongest effect on fall and winter weather in Canada, but even though it will “become less of a driver” in the spring, its influence will likely continue to contribute to milder conditions.
Cold snaps and snow not over
But don’t put your winter coats away, Canada.
The prediction of a warmer spring doesn’t mean we’ve seen the end of wintry weather, even after spring’s official arrival on March 20 and remember these are average trends over a long period of time and it’s still quite possible to get swings in temperature and cold snaps and messy storms.
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