Forecast: Record-breaking warmth in Western Canada, cold and snow elsewhere

People enjoy the above seasonal warm weather as they cross the Humber River on a bridge in Toronto on Monday, March 4, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

A dose of sunshine is expected to warm up Western Canada, while cooler temperatures and snow are forecast elsewhere in the country.

According to CTV Your Morning's meteorologist Kelsey McEwen, temperatures in B.C. and Alberta are set for the high teens and low 20s C on Monday, following a weekend of record-breaking warmth.

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A dominant high pressure system is to thank for the warm temperatures and sunshine, she said. In much of B.C., the sun is expected to last two more days before a slow decline brings rain by mid-week. Some areas will also face reduced air quality, McEwen said.

In Alberta, record-warm temperatures will last through Monday before cooling down Tuesday.

Across Atlantic Canada, wind and snow warnings have been issued in Newfoundland and Labrador, Cape Breton and coastal Quebec. Between 15 and 25 centimetres of snow is expected in these areas. McEwen said strong wind gusts of 100 km/h are expected.

In parts of Ontario and Quebec, including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, temperatures will be cooler than average all week, McEwen said.

In the Prairies, blizzard conditions are possible in northern Manitoba as a low-pressure centre moves through the area. Regina and Saskatoon should expect unseasonable warmth on Monday, but temperatures are forecast below the norm for the rest of the week.

Warnings in Nunavut range from winter storm to extreme cold, depending on location. Environment Canada's morning forecast noted an abnormal temperature trend this week in Yellowknife, where expected highs range earlier this week from -17 C to -20, before warming to a more seasonal high around the -10 mark by the weekend.

And Whitehorse may see showers or flurries with a forecast high of 8, but it's expected to gradually get cooler through the week.