Warm but ‘moody’ spring expected across most of Canada

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 that the unusually mild winter seen across much of the country thanks to El Niño conditions will pave the way for even more pleasant weather in the coming weeks, with 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,” Scott said. “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.

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

In British Columbia, March will start on the cooler side before spring fully kicks in, and that comes with potential for snow, Scott said. However, as temperatures rise and precipitation drops, there is worry those conditions could set the stage for early forest fires.