Canadian Winter Forecast: Western Canada Should Expect Chills, Snow
After this past weekend’s record breaking heat in parts of the country, Canadians should brace themselves: Winter is coming and some places not used to snow should get the shovels ready.
Early October saw warmer temperatures, with Ottawa recording summer-like weather as did southern Ontario. Last week, Winnipeg passed the 30C mark.
U.S.-based AccuWeather.com’s Canadian weather expert Brett Anderson said that Western Canada should expect a cold winter with more chances for snowy days in Vancouver and Victoria.
“We’re going to be dealing with a cold winter across a good chunk of western Canada,” Anderson said in his forecast for the country, adding that Edmonton should be getting yet another colder than normal winter for a fifth year.
The Arctic air mass, combined with traditionally wet weather for Vancouver, could bring more wet days of the snowy kind. The Prairies are expected to be drier than in previous years, Anderson said in his Canadian forecast, though there may be a pocket in southwestern Alberta that could be wetter than usual.
The East Coast may be looking at a warmer and drier winter, Anderson's forecast says.
As for Ontario and Quebec, particularly the Toronto-to-Montreal corridor, Anderson said to expect several “bitter” arctic blasts but noted that they will not last long as it won’t be persistently cold. There is a good chance of lake effect snow in the Great Lakes region. Parts of northern Ontario will get more precipitation than normal.
IN PHOTOS: THE WINTER THAT WAS
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The Huffington Post Canada First Posted: 10/11/11 09:24 AM ET Updated: 12/11/11 05:12 AM ET