The vernal equinox, marking the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, will occur on March 20, at 5:24 p.m. EST time this year. But that doesn’t guarantee the arrival of warm temperatures — especially for parts of Canada.
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The good news: If you live in Canada or have plans to travel there this spring, the Farmers’ Almanac has published its 2023 spring weather forecast for Canada to help with your planning.
“Spring in Canada can be a trying season filled with slush, mud, and a surprise snowstorm or two — and this season promises to comply,” according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
“For spring 2023, our long-range weather outlook for Canada calls for a slow warm up with a very stormy April across the country,” the Farmers’ Almanac continues. “We are calling it a ‘turbulent transition to warmth.’ Overall, though, spring should see near-normal temperatures.”
Let’s get right to it. Here is the Farmers’ Almanac’s 2023 spring weather forecast for Canada.
The Big Picture
“Drier-than-normal conditions are forecast for Quebec and the Maritimes. However, Ontario, especially around the Great Lakes, is predicted to see a showery spring,” according to the forecast. “The rest of the country should see close to normal springtime precipitation.”
Here are the specific regional forecasts for weather across Canada this spring.
British Columbia
The almanac’s forecast for British Columbia calls for “pleasant temps, normal precipitation” this spring.
Alberta, Saskatchewan, And Manitoba
People in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba can expect “near normal temps, average precipitation,” the forecast says.
Ontario
As the forecast noted, people in and around Ontario can expect a “mild, showery” spring this year.
Quebec And The Maritimes
The almanac’s forecast for Quebec and the Maritimes calls for seasonable temps and dry weather this spring.
Newfoundland and Labrador
If you live in or plan to visit Newfoundland and Labrador, the spring forecast explains that you can expect “normal temps, below normal precipitation” this spring.
A Late Spring Warning
The Farmers’ Almanac’s spring forecast for Canada does extend into June — and it even carries a warning for severe weather.
“Another threat of severe weather, this one more widespread, is forecast around the time of the June solstice, as a surge of very warm, humid, and unstable air triggers showers, violent thunderstorms, and possibly even a twister or two across much of the central and eastern parts of the nation,” the Farmers’ Almanac explains.
“Then, as we make the astronomical transition to summer, the heat will turn on bigtime across much of the country as June winds down to a close,” the forecast concludes.
A Word About The Forecasts
The Farmers’ Almanac says it has accurately published long-range weather forecasts since 1818. The key to those forecasts is a set of astronomical and mathematical rules developed by David Young, the almanac’s first editor.
We talked to Caleb Weatherbee, the official forecaster for the Farmers’ Almanac, to ask how those forecasts are generated.
By the way, Weatherbee is a real person. The name “Caleb Weatherbee,” on the other hand, is “actually a pseudonym that has been passed down through generations of Almanac prognosticators and has been used to conceal the true identity of the men and women behind our predictions,” the almanac told TravelAwaits.
Surprisingly, the astronomical and mathematical rules that have been passed down from one editor to the next over the years play an instrumental role in developing the Farmers’ Almanac’s long-range weather forecasts.
“We still use the rules originally set forth by David Young in 1818, however, we have augmented those rules with other methodologies that have been developed in the ensuing 205 years, which take into account studies of solar activity, lunar cycles, and similar weather patterns relating to El Niño and La Niña cycles that have been recorded by NOAA,” Weatherbee said.
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