Remember the weather? Here's what Environment Canada says summer has in store

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TORONTO — As Canadians practise physical distancing and stay mostly indoors during the pandemic, Environment Canada says they can look forward to normal summer weather after a chilly spring.

The weather agency’s senior climatologist, Dave Phillips, said most of the country has been experiencing colder-than-average temperatures this spring.

And while under normal circumstances, a cold spring is unwelcome news to Canadians eager for warmth after the winter, this year Phillips said there could be a silver lining in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Maybe the fact that the weather is so inclement, maybe that’s good for us. It doesn't seduce us,” he told CTVNews.ca during a telephone interview from Barrie, Ont. on Wednesday. “We're cocooning inside and we don't want to go out… so the weather in many ways is co-operating from that point of view.”

When the summer does come, though, Phillips said it should be a good one for the entire country.

“From coast to coast to coast, no areas are showing colder than normal in the summer, June, July and August,” he said. “Everywhere you can see, we think that summer looks summer-like in Canada. Good beer-drinking weather, good muscle shirt, tank top kind of weather.”

The warm weather’s slow arrival is also proving to have a beneficial effect on springtime flooding, according to the senior climatologist. He said this year’s spring has been mostly drier than in other years, which means rivers prone to flooding, such as the Saint John River in New Brunswick and the Red River in Winnipeg, have not overflowed yet.

“This year, it’s quiet. It’s more manageable,” Phillips said. “That can change with a good heavy rainfall, but I think generally speaking, I think the conditions are pretty good.”

What’s more, Phillips said there have been fewer forest fires this spring, which he believes may be an unintended benefit of fewer people outdoors due to the quarantine.

“Most forest fires are caused by people, well people aren’t out in the forest so they’re not setting fires you see,” he explained. “So the forest fire season seems well at bay.”

“I think there’s a blessing there.”

As Canadians longingly gaze out their windows in the hopes they’ll be able to enjoy the warmer months soon, Phillips breaks down what the weather has been like for each region across the country and what’s in store in the weeks and months to come.

B.C. and the North

For those who love warm weather, Phillips said B.C. residents have been the most spoiled of them all. He said those in Victoria, Vancouver and coastal B.C. have enjoyed sunny and dry conditions for much of the spring season.

“It’s been very dry. It's been sunny wall-to-wall sunshine,” he said.

Phillips said he expects that trend to continue for B.C. with warmer-than-normal temperatures expected across the province and even in the Northern territories of Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut for the next month until mid-May.

Alberta

While B.C. has enjoyed dry and sunny conditions, winter-weary residents in Alberta haven’t been so lucky this spring, according to Phillips. He said the province, and in particular Edmonton, have endured a cold and snowy winter.

“Who's had the worst weather? I would say probably Edmonton has had no break at all. It looks winter, it feels like winter,” he said. “April has been absolutely almost a dozen degrees colder than normal.”

Despite the unrelenting winter weather, Phillips said relief is on the horizon for the city with temperatures expected to rocket up to 14 or 16 C by the end of the weekend.

“We're going to see a change of weather this week, from something that has been very inclement, very winter-like to something that's almost going to be more like May weather or June weather,” he said.

The temperature swing may be short-lived, however, as Alberta may be in for cooler-than-normal weather for the rest of April and up until mid-May.

Saskatchewan

Phillips said Saskatchewan didn’t experience as tough a winter as Alberta, but October and April have been cold months for the province.

“It's been really brutally cold on the prairies, particularly Regina,” he said. “It’s been minus 5 C, 10 degrees colder than you would normally see with heavy snow.”

Like Alberta, he said they will see a brief warm up by the end of the weekend, but Saskatchewan is also expected to be colder-than-average for the rest of the month and into May.

Manitoba 

Like Saskatchewan, Manitoba has experienced a colder April even though the winter was milder, on average, than normal. He said the average temperature for the month of April has so far been approximately 6 degrees colder than it usually is at this time of year.

The climatologist said even though there has been a lot of snow in the province, the warmer winter meant the snow came and went and eased itself out, which is good news for Winnipeg’s flood-prone Red River.

As for the rest of the month and into mid-May, Phillips said Saskatchewan will likely experience colder temperatures than is typical for the time of year.

Ontario

While Toronto received more snow than normal this winter, Phillips said the only colder-than-average months for the city were in November and April. He also said that flooding should be less of a concern this spring because there has been less snow in March and April.

Moving east to Ottawa, Phillips said the city should be safe from the flooding it has experienced in the past three years.

“I think that’s welcome news for Ottawa and western Quebec,” he said.

Ontarians, like those in the Prairies, will have to brace themselves for a few more weeks of colder-than-average temperatures into mid-May before a substantial warm-up arrives, according to Phillips.

Quebec 

Phillips said Quebec has been similar to much of the country in experiencing a colder April following a warmer winter. In Montreal, for example, the city had five fewer colder-than-average days this winter.

“I think the situation there is good, I mean you’re not out there and drinking beer on outdoor patios, but April is usually a cooler month,” he said.

As is the case for most of the country, Quebec will also have to be patient for warmer weather to arrive with cooler temperatures expected to extend until mid-May.

Atlantic Canada 

Finally, Phillips said the Maritimes has experienced a milder winter like most of the country with a colder-than-average April.

In New Brunswick, the province has had less snowfall than in years past, which has helped reduce the risk of springtime flooding.

And while Newfoundland and Labrador was slammed with an incredible snowstorm in January, that snow has since disappeared, Phillips said.

Atlantic Canada will also have to sit tight and wait for the warmth as the region is expecting at least a few more weeks of chillier-than-normal temperatures into the first half of May, according to Environment Canada forecasts.

Summer preview 

While spring so far has been chilly and slow to come, Phillips said a typical warm summer will arrive, eventually.

“We're a winter country and that winter hanging on prevents spring-ish weather from getting a foothold and so we think we'll have to be more patient,” he said.

Phillips said he hopes Canadians will be able to flatten the curve of the pandemic so they can go outside and enjoy the warm summer months Environment Canada predicts are in store for the whole country.

“The news, at least in the weather office, seems to be good news for the summer ahead,” he said.