WHITE CHRISTMAS?

Ahh, another dilemma. We, in Canada, are in a fairly different position with regards to our snow cover than we were at this time last year. As of Wednesday morning, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Ottawa and Montreal all had more than two centimetres of snow on the ground. It’s normal for Vancouver and Victoria to have little to no snow on the ground at this time of year but places like Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax and St. John’s have trace to no snow on the ground as of Wednesday morning. Many are wondering if they will see a white Christmas and we’re certainly working away at it. From Alberta to Manitoba, there is essentially one more chance to add some snow to the snowpack (or grass-pack?) before Christmas morning and at this point, there doesn’t seem to be too much snow with the system. We will see a few centimetres of snow with this clipper system that will occur before Christmas but it remains to be seen, at this point, whether or not it will be enough to boost some folks’ snow totals to get them a white Christmas!

What the map below depicts: Interpolated data of the snow on the ground across western Canada as of very early Wednesday morning.

As for eastern Canada, well, the big, looming potential for a Christmas storm will certainly be the deciding factor in whether or not we get a white Christmas across eastern Canada cities. We do have a storm system set to bring heavy snow to New Brunswick Wednesday night and Thursday but it’s mostly rain for Nova Scotia, parts of P.E.I. and eastern Newfoundland. Those in Toronto, Halifax and St. John’s don’t have any snow on the ground right now (maybe just some left over piles at the end of the driveway from shovelling or a sad looking snowman). This Christmas Eve to Boxing Day storm, who it impacts, and when it occurs, will essentially decide whether or not we see a white, or stormy, Christmas.

What the map below depicts: Interpolated data of the snow on the ground across eastern Canada as of very early Wednesday morning.

Here’s a look at some of the “snow on the ground” numbers we had Christmas morning across Canada last year and whether or not these cities had a white Christmas:

THIS WEEKEND

Some good news! If you’re travelling anywhere this weekend anywhere from Alberta to Newfoundland, weather should not play a role in travel delays. There aren’t any major storm systems in the aforementioned region for Saturday or Sunday. There is the risk of a bit of light snow in the Prairies Saturday but it will be light and passing, likely not accumulating too much. British Columbia will be our more active region of the country this weekend. The continuous parade of moisture we’ve been seeing, typical to this time of year in B.C., will carry on through the weekend with a couple of more storm systems impacting the province. The deluge coastal B.C. experienced earlier this month is not expected this weekend but the wet pattern is continuing. Throughout the weekend, 30-60 mm of rain is in the forecast for Victoria and Vancouver areas with higher rainfall amounts as we increase in elevation (60-75 mm) and those are totals from Friday night through Sunday night. Winds will also be gusty throughout the weekend. Higher elevations and ski resorts in British Columbia and along the Rockies in Alberta can expect accumulating snow from Friday to Sunday. We may see some travel delays due to rain and wind in British Columbia and be aware of driving conditions through the mountain passes due to changeable precipitation types.