Despite a warmer than normal winter, near-normal conditions expected
OAKVILLE, ON, March 5, 2012 /CNW/ - The Weather Network has just released its outlook for the months of March, April and May. Following an exceptionally warm and generally dry winter, Canadians can expect a normal and gradual warm-up this spring.
The unusually warm winter can be attributed to several factors, one of which is the jet stream, which stayed further north than usual during the winter months in Canada, keeping the coldest air bottled up over the Arctic. The deeper cold and heavier snow normally attributed to a Canadian winter has instead been felt over parts of Europe and Asia.
"While winter in Canada was relatively dry and warm for most of the country due to the jet stream pattern, it doesn't necessarily mean the same for the spring months," said Chris Scott, Director of Meteorology for The Weather Network. "March tends to be a winter month in most of Canada, and the potential is still there for significant snow. Overall though, we are expecting a fairly typical warm up through the spring months."
The Western Canada Spring
While we can expect a near-normal spring in most of the region, cold temperatures are expected for the northern Prairie Provinces, Yukon and Northwest Territories, with above normal temperatures for southern Manitoba. Precipitation is expected to be near-normal for most of Western Canada, with the exception of Southern Alberta, where below-normal precipitation is forecast.
The Eastern Canada Spring
From the Ontario/Manitoba border east to Atlantic Canada, near-normal temperatures and precipitation are expected for most regions. Above-normal temperatures are expected for Northwestern Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Central Ontario through to Montreal can expect above-normal precipitation as the storm track is expected to reside across the region.
The Weather Network's Spring Outlook is now available online. To learn even more about the expected conditions this spring, tune into The Weather Network on March 5.
The Weather Network's Spring Outlook
| Spring 2012 Weather Forecast | ||
| Region |
Temperature outlook | Precipitation outlook |
| British Columbia | Below normal for northern areas of the province. Near normal elsewhere. |
Near normal. |
| Alberta | Below normal for northern areas of the province. Near normal elsewhere. |
Drier than normal for southern areas, including the city of Calgary. Near normal elsewhere. |
| Saskatchewan | Below normal for northern areas of the province. Near normal elsewhere. |
Near normal. |
| Manitoba | Above normal for southern areas of the province, including Winnipeg. Near normal elsewhere. |
Near normal. |
| Ontario | Near normal for most of the province. Above normal for northwestern Ontario. | Wetter than normal conditions for central Ontario and southeastern areas of the province. Near normal conditions elsewhere. |
| Québec | Near normal for the province. | Wetter than normal for southwestern areas of the province, including Montreal. Near normal conditions elsewhere. |
| Atlantic Canada | Near normal for most of the region, except for Nova Scotia, the Avalon Peninsula and southern Newfoundland where milder than normal temperatures are expected. |
Near normal for the region. |
| Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut | Below normal temperatures for the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Near normal for Nunavut. | Near normal. |
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maps or to arrange an interview with a meteorologist, please contact:
Deanna Ghandour
Corporate Communications Specialist, The Weather Network
905-829-1159 ext. 1358 [email protected]
Megan Moulton
High Road Communications for The Weather Network
416-644-1376 [email protected]
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