Patience needed before spring weather arrives
While March has not been record cold, temperatures have been below normal
IT WAS THE FIRST DAY of spring, but it felt more like winter Tuesday.
“I think people seem a little ticked off by the fact that March has been so cool,” said David Phillips, senior climatologist for Environment Canada.
He said Niagara residents may have been “seduced” to think spring was here with a warmer end to February, but that the transition from winter to spring is often not so smooth.
Phillips said while this March has not been record cold, temperatures have been below normal.
He said residents looking forward to spring are going to have to be patient.
“You’re going to have to just bide your time. Spring is like that, it’s very fickle. March, early April is more winter like than summer like and yet then the end of May and the beginning of June, which we’re still in spring, is more summer like.”
According to Environment Canada, the high was 1C Tuesday morning with a low of –3C at night with winds between 30 to 50 km/h.
While the sun is expected to continue for much of the rest of the week, so are the cooler temperatures.
Wednesday is forecast to bring a high of 1 C with winds between 40 to 60 km/h and a low of
–6 C at night; a high of 5 C with a low of –6 C Thursday night; a high of 6 C with a low of – C Friday night; a high of 3 C with a low of –4 C Saturday night; and a high of 3 C with a low of –3 C Sunday night.
Although spring is off to a cool start, Phillips said he prefers the chances of a nice spring this year over last year.
He said while the first full day of spring was warmer last year, the season ended up being a little cooler than normal and the wettest on record.
“What we think this year is it’s going to be a little bit slower coming, but we think overall it will be a warmer than normal spring, but not at the beginning.”
Phillips said there’s never any real connection between one season to the next, except slightly with winter to spring.
“You have to get rid of the winter before spring really comes — the ground is still frozen, there’s still ice in many of the lakes and the rivers.”
He said farmers are going to find it slower getting on to their fields, while the raking of lawns will not occur until well into April.
“My little piece of folklore I think is well suited this year: ’til April’s dead, change not a thread. So, don’t get rid of the winter clothes, or take the snow tires off until we get well into the end of April and we see May in our sights. We’re going to have to be patient until we get there.”