April storms bring May norms: Weather Network’s seasonal forecast
Spring may have already officially begun, but a new report says the beginning of April will continue to feel more like winter this year.
An April seasonal forecast from the Weather Network shows Canadians are still experiencing cooler than normal temperatures after feeling spring-like days in the middle of winter.
April, the report says, is a "fickle month," sometimes giving Canadians a taste of summer, and other times delivering more winter-like snowstorms.
At the end of March, a storm brought white-out conditions to parts of Nova Scotia, with residents for the second time in two weeks digging out.
On April 1, Environment Canada issued winter storm warnings for northern Ontario and Quebec with estimates of 15 centimetres of snow. B.C.'s Coquihalla Highway continues to be under a winter storm warning by Environment Canada Saturday with estimates of 15 to 25 centimetres of snow expected through the evening.
"Spring is off to a rather sluggish start across most of Canada," the report reads. "Most Canadian springs actually start this way, but it seems that many are feeling the slow start more so this year."
TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE
At the beginning of April, Canadians can expect cooler temperatures from British Columbia to northern Ontario and Quebec.
In the southern half of Ontario and Quebec, warm air from the U.S. will move north early on. The report warns the warm temperatures will not be consistent, with a few days offsetting cooler weather across the region.
"Across Atlantic Canada, we expect that changeable temperatures will balance out and return to near normal," the report says.
As the second week of April approaches, cooler air will reach southern Ontario, Quebec and the east coast provinces. The west coast from B.C. to Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan will see temperatures rise during this time.
The cooler-than-normal temperatures are expected to stay in northern Ontario, Manitoba and the prairies in the latter half of April.
"As we look at the big picture for the entire month, April will live up to its reputation of being a fickle month, but colder-than-normal temperatures will be more dominant than the periods of warmer weather across most of Canada," the report reads.
MORE SNOW EXPECTED
When temperatures drop, the proverbial April showers will become snow, the report says. Northern Ontario and Quebec can expect more "late-winter" storms early in April.
The Weather Network says the differences in temperatures will "contribute to an active storm track" in Ontario and Quebec.
Near-normal rain in B.C. and parts of the Prairies is expected but some northern areas of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba could see below-normal precipitation.
"This is quite a contrast to last year for Manitoba, when the extremely wet conditions resulted in lengthy delays in getting crops planted," the report says.
RISKIN REPORTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Donald Trump described Pentagon plan of attack and shared classified map, indictment says
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to an indictment unsealed Friday that alleges that he described a Pentagon 'plan of attack' and shared a classified map related to a military operation.

Air Canada rejects passenger compensation claims for delays caused by tech issue
Air Canada has rejected compensation claims from some travellers who were among the thousands affected by flight delays caused by computer problems in recent weeks -- a response it now calls 'erroneous,' with cash offers en route.
Corrections defends Bernardo's privacy, as it faces calls to detail transfer reason
The Correctional Service of Canada is defending Paul Bernardo's privacy rights after the public safety minister said they should be waived.
BREAKING | Sask. RCMP issue Amber Alert for 2 missing children
Saskatchewan RCMP have issued an Amber Alert in the hopes of locating two missing children who are believed to have been taken by their mother.
Here's what you should know about wildfire home insurance policies
Amid raging wildfires in western and eastern provinces, vice-president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, Craig Stewart, shares what residents need to know about wildfire policy coverage.
2-year-old girl dead after going missing near Canmore, Alta., campground
A two-year-old girl who went missing from Canmore's Bow River Campground on Thursday afternoon has died.
How to interpret Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index ratings
Environment Canada has been advising people to check the Air Quality Health Index as wildfire smoke blanketed large swaths of Canada in recent days, but even without wildfires, the index can be a useful tool to monitor air pollution.
Ottawa girl set to become the youngest university graduate in Canadian history
Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis is not your typical 12-year-old. She is a child prodigy who's about to become the youngest Canadian to ever graduate from university.
Bernardo's prison transfer 'slap in the face' for victims' families, Tori Stafford's father says
The father of Tori Stafford, an Ontario girl who was murdered in 2009, says the latest decision to transfer convicted killer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison is a 'slap in the face' to all murder victims' families.