Spring `mood swings' on way: Weather Network

Most Canadians can look forward to a warmer-than-normal spring, but they should also brace for the season's “profound mood swings,” according to The Weather Network's latest outlook.

The forecast released Wednesday predicts the unusually mild winter seen across much of Canada thanks to El Niño conditions will pave the way for even more pleasant weather in the coming weeks, but not without some interruptions.

“Overall, we will average out above normal for temperatures across the vast majority of the nation, from Vancouver through to Montreal,” the network's chief meteorologist Chris Scott said in an interview. “But keep in mind that spring is a time of transition, and it is a roller-coaster.”

That could mean almost summer-like days quickly followed by cold snaps, stormy weather and even some potentially significant snowfall in parts of Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, he said.

“(This winter) we've seen exceptional warmth, followed by some really bitter cold and then back to warm again. That's going to be the case for the first half of spring. That very moody feel to the atmosphere is what we will experience.”

But starting in late April, the season is expected to usher in more settled and drier weather in most regions, including some “quintessential beautiful spring days where the temperature is 16 Celsius and it's sunny,” he added.

Exceptions may include east-central Saskatchewan, central Manitoba and southwest Nova Scotia, where the forecast calls for above-normal precipitation.

In B.C., March will start on the cool side before spring fully kicks in, and that comes with potential for snow — which would be good news for ski resorts after a disappointing winter season, Scott said. However, as temperatures rise and precipitation drops, there is worry those conditions could set the stage for early forest fires.

Below-normal precipitation expected after March may also be cause for concern in parts of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec hit hard by wildfires and the resulting poor air quality last year, he noted.