False start to spring or the real deal? Ontario set to bask in warmth
After a snowy weekend in parts of southern Ontario, a gradual buildup of warmer temperatures will spring forth across the region this week.
Southern Ontario will be getting an influx of mild air as we approach the halfway point of March.
A large ridge of high pressure is building over Eastern Canada and will allow calm conditions to prevail across southern Ontario for most of the week. Better yet, temperatures will progressively grow warmer each day as we head toward the weekend.
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We’ll see temperatures more consistent with late April or early May by Thursday, with daytime highs potentially running more than three times warmer than seasonal for this time of year. The warmth is also due to a tropical air mass that is streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico and sending temperatures into the double digits for Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
Highs on Thursday could easily reach 15°C-19°C across a good chunk of southern Ontario. For context, the seasonal daytime high is around 4°C with an overnight low of -4°C.
With St. Patrick's Day falling on Thursday and Toronto's current forecast of 14°C, it could be its first double-digit daytime high on March 17th since 2016. For communities such as North Bay and Barrie, Ont., it's been 10 years since they saw double-digit warmth on St. Patrick's Day.
Communities close to the lakeshores could find some disappointment with temperatures lower than readings from inland locations. It’s not a total miss, though, as conditions will still remain warmer than seasonal even in areas influenced by the cooler waters.
Above seasonal temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend with the potential for rain. However, this is likely a false start to spring as the season will test our patience at times in late March and especially during April, with more shots of colder weather expected.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for all the latest on your forecast across Ontario.
