PRAIRIE FORECAST
Brutal winter expected
Prairie dwellers might as well prepare themselves for colder temperatures and more snow.
According to The Weather Network, the chances of another mild winter like last year’s on the Prairies are slim to none. The weather channel’s meteorologists predict the region will endure the harshest winter in Canada.
Southern regions of Saskatchewan are expected to have more snow than northern areas, according to TWN’s winter model.
“The winter you could be expecting could last well into March,” said meteorologist Brad Russeau.
He says people should look for some positives in the dour forecast. For instance, an above average snowfall can help replenish soil moisture that had diminished in the last few years on the Prairies.
“You must take the good with the bad,” Russeau said.
A developing La Nina off the Pacific Ocean by South America is to blame for his cold predictions for Canada.
“The waters off the coast are much colder than normal and it is really driving this pattern right now.”
Russeau said the La Nina will likely persist through the winter and well into spring before it begins to wind itself out. It’s too soon to suggest a warmer El Niño will begin to form, he said.
“It could be summer before we come out of it.”
Russeau predicts more snow and colder weather from eastern British Columbia to northwestern Ontario. Southern Ontario and Quebec are likely to experience an active storm winter with plenty of snow.