Weather
The Farmer’s Almanac (not to be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac) just released their prediction for Canada for the upcoming winter. So, what should we expect…?
Based on their time-tested formula, the winter of 2018-2019 will be a teeth-chattering cold one, with below-normal temperatures forecast for much of the country.
Canadians are used to the cold though, so just how cold will it be? For most of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and westernmost Ontario, temperatures will be way below normal, with the coldest temperatures expected during February 2019, when -40°C, or even -45°C, will be likely. It will also be an unusually cold February in eastern Ontario and Quebec, with the coldest temperatures running south and east across the Great Lakes to the Laurentian Plateau. Only British Columbia can expect near-normal temperatures through the winter.
We can put up with the cold though, as long as there’s snow with it. So, will there be snow too? The region around the Great Lakes could receive above-normal amounts, while the rest of the nation will have averages close to normal. The Canadian Farmers’ Almanac is also predicting a wet and/or snowy winter across British Columbia, where the thermometer will hover just above or just below the freezing mark.
An unusually snowy February 2019 for Quebec is also likely, while the Maritimes could swing between rain and snow. Moving into mid-March, we could see a wave of storminess right across the country from coast to coast, bringing a wide variety of precipitation types and strong and gusty winds.
All of this adds up to a cold, cold winter, which might stretch out a little longer than usual, causing spring to be late. Winter will hang around in many locations right through April, especially in Quebec and the Maritimes, where a big mid-April storm could lead to wet snow, especially at higher elevations. This cool weather could stretch even into May!
