Stormy and soggy: What the almanacs are saying about Canada’s winter forecast

By Tom Yun, CTVNews.ca writer

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    TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) — It’s going to be a wet and stormy winter in Canada, according to weather predictions from two almanacs.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac, a publication based out of New Hampshire that has been in print since 1792, says Canadians should be prepared to “weather the storms” as it expects this winter to be replete with slush, sleet and snow.

Higher than normal amounts of snowfall are expected for the territories, the northern Prairies, much of Quebec and parts of Atlantic Canada, in particular, where forecasters are predicting back-to-back snowstorms between mid-December and late January. Temperatures are expected to be generally milder than average for most of the country, the publication says. However, much of Ontario and western Quebec will see colder than average temperatures in addition to wet conditions.

Sign up for The Climate Barometer, delivering climate and environmental news to your inbox every week “This coming winter won’t be remarkable in terms of temperature, but for our Canadian friends who will end up just wanting to dry out, it will be a long season indeed,” Old Farmer’s Almanac editor Janice Stillman wrote.

British Columbia is the one province that the Old Farmer’s Almanac is expecting to be dryer than average, with above average temperatures.

In the Prairies, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting major snowstorms in late November, mid-January and early March alongside freezing rain and higher than average temperatures.

But the Farmer’s Almanac, a rival publication based out of Maine, is offering a slightly different take in its winter forecast.

The Farmer’s Almanac expects the Prairies to be frigid, especially in the month of February. But, just like its rival, the Farmer’s Almanac is also predicting an ample amount of storminess and wetness, including “rain, snow, and everything in between” throughout the country, especially in the month of January.

However, the publication is not expecting mild temperatures for most of the country. Temperatures will be seasonally cold throughout the country except in Central Canada, which is expected to see below average temperatures.

The Farmer’s Almanac expects the Prairies to be very frigid, especially in the month of February. The publication describes Ontario as “icy” and “flaky” while in Quebec, a stormy January and a tranquil February could be in store.

Both provinces could see a “winter whopper” storm near the end of January. Temperatures that month are going to be milder than usual for much of Eastern and Central Canada while trending towards colder weather by the end of the month, the publication predicts.

February is also expected to be a dryer month. Quebec and the Maritime provinces could see as much as 60 per cent fewer days of precipitation, the Farmer’s Almanac says.

Meanwhile, British Columbia will likely see seasonally mild winter temperatures and high amounts of precipitation but could still see ” an unseasonable chill” in February.

Don’t expect an early spring either, the Farmer’s Almanac says. Springlike conditions in March could be “few and far between” as unseasonably cold temperatures are expected to continue.​

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