It was cold and icy, but how does this winter stack up?
Whether you were busy shovelling out your driveway or making a slow, white-knuckle commute, there were many times the cold weather just seemed to drag on forever.
But if you thought this winter was worse than most, well, you’d be wrong.
According to Kirk Torneby, meteorologist for Environment Canada, Calgary received 55 millimetres of water-equivalent snowfall during the winter months, which stands as the 29th wettest winter on record for the Calgary area.
As for the frosty temperatures, this winter didn’t even come close to record numbers.
The mean temperature was -8.5 C, which sits as the 51st coldest on record.
“Generally, over southern Alberta, it was a cold and wet winter,” said Torneby in an interview.
Now, Calgarians can expect a “normal” spring — which can mean just about anything in southern Alberta.
Torneby said Calgary can anticipate a variety of temperatures and precipitation levels in the weeks ahead.
“A little bit of anything is possible,” said Torneby.
“It could be a little colder or a little warmer, but typically around those near-normal conditions for the next three months.”
However, Torneby said there’s a signal it could be “a little bit wetter than normal,” with higher precipitation levels anticipated, which will be a determining factor for how severe the summer storm season will be.
“This is the time of year where we can get some short, but intense snowfall events,” said Torneby.
“If there’s a lot of standing water through the spring months, thunderstorm season will be a little more active than normal.”
The amount of precipitation will also have a direct effect on businesses such as garden centres and golf courses, as well as various outdoor activities.
Janette Eby, an annuals buyer for Golden Acre Home and Garden, said regardless of what conditions are on the horizon, they’re always ready for spring to commence.
Although not all products will be available, Eby said their garden centre will open April 15, no matter what the spring season hurls their way.
“Calgarians are always real keeners to get out and snoop around the greenhouses to see what’s out there,” said Eby. “I feel like it’s been a long winter, so Calgarians are itching to see some flowers and green.”
Golf is another business relying heavily on the weather to begin the season.
Jeff MacGregor is the head professional at Inglewood Golf and Curling Club (IGCC) and he said they’re projecting an opening date of around April 20, based on how much snow cover they’re still dealing with and the long-range forecast.
The projected April 20 opening date is later than IGCC has been accustomed to in recent years. Last spring, they opened early on April 1.
But with the early starts to the season the past couple of years, MacGregor said he noticed a slight decline in business toward the end of the golf season.
“When there’s an earlier opening, it drowns out a little bit toward the end of the summer and into the fall,” said MacGregor.
“But I’m a big believer in it just evens out from the earlier start to the year.”