What will the weather be like this spring? Ontario is in for even more winter storms

As southern Ontario braces for yet another snowstorm Friday, many are likely wondering when springlike weather will arrive for good.

It’s been a season of wild fluctuations in Ontario, with bouts of severe winter weather interspersed with days of extended thaws, perhaps providing false hope of spring’s imminent arrival.

But is milder weather on the horizon?

Additional rounds of wintry weather expected for Ontario

Ontarians — and many Canadians — can expect even more wintry weather throughout March and April before a “sluggish start” to spring, according to The Weather Network’s spring forecast, published Wednesday.

“Winter lacked commitment this year as episodes of severe winter weather were followed by extended periods of early springlike weather,” said Chris Scott, chief meteorologist with The Weather Network, in a press release.

“However, it appears that winter will attempt to make up for lost time during March and even into April,” he added. “Several more rounds of wintry weather are expected across the country before spring finally hits its stride.”

Unlike Canada’s groundhogs, which were at odds over spring’s arrival last month, there’s a general consensus among The Weather Network, Environment Canada and American forecasters, said David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada.

“The operative word this season is patience,” he said. “We’ve come through a long stretch of milder than normal temperatures, and now in March, this could be the first month in almost a year that we have temperatures slightly below normal.”

How cold will Toronto be in early March?

In Toronto, specifically, The Weather Network’s 14-day temperature trend predicts daytime highs below historical averages for much of the first two full weeks of March.

Nighttime temperatures could plunge as low as -9C in the middle of the month, the forecast predicts.

Residents of southern Ontario, in particular, can expect above-normal precipitation, according to The Weather Network’s forecasts. The prediction calls for “messy winter storms” across Ontario and Quebec due to a few “moisture-laden systems” tracking across the region throughout March and parts of April.

“However, we are watching the potential for a strong ending to the season with warmer and drier weather,” the report said.

Wet, winter weather expected for much of the country

The extended wintry weather is a trend expected for much of the country. The forecast noted British Columbia will likely see an extended spring ski season, thanks to some cooler weather and above-normal precipitation.

Late-season winter storms are also called for in Atlantic Canada, which experienced “very mild” weather throughout the winter, the report noted. And in the Prairies, residents could see more wintry weather in March and April than during the heart of winter.

“We’ve got, frankly, more than a month before we can really start to talk about consistent warmth,” meteorologist Scott said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

The good news, however, is that above-normal precipitation across the country will help delay fire season in the west, Scott told The Canadian Press. As well, the lack of heavy winter snow mounds melting all at once will mean less water overflow in typically flood-prone areas, he said.

And looking ahead to the summer, Phillips at Environment Canada said his models predict a warmer than normal season.

With files by The Canadian Press

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