Canada's spring kickoff weekend: Will it shed winter's footprints?
Spring officially arrived in Canada on Thursday, and it will waste no time in showing off its typical, divisive weather across the country during the first weekend of the season
After what seemed like a long, drawn-out winter for many Canadians, spring is finally here.
Arriving on Thursday at 5:01 a.m. EDT, the spring equinox will come as a relief for those hoping for warmer, brighter days ahead. Well, for many in the country, they will have to hold that thought through the first weekend of the season, at least.
Visit our Complete Guide to Spring 2025 for an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
Read on for a glimpse at what to expect for the first weekend of the spring 2025 season!
First weekend of spring will be a letdown for many
Right on cue, spring's notorious reputation for changeable and contrasting weather will begin promptly this weekend.
For B.C, that means its first weekend will be partly dry and wet, with maybe some thunder for the coast and Interior and snow for the alpine regions.
The province is in the midst of a storm parade, with a system in line for Thursday that will be followed by another on Sunday. That will be the preclude to an atmospheric river for next week.
The Prairies will be the epitome of what the spring season is about.
Alberta will be basking in the high, single digits, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be quite cooler–– with temperatures hovering around freezing on Saturday and Sunday. To make matters worse, a weak low will bring scattered, mixed precipitation and flurries for the southern areas on Saturday.
Moving farther east, Ontario won't fair much better, but it will at least feel like March.
Northern Ontario will see improving conditions after a potent winter storm, but temperatures will be much colder for the weekend––more typical of late winter for the first weekend of spring.
In southern Ontario, Saturday will start mild, but a cold front will track across our region during the morning. This will bring a period of showers, which will change to flurries before ending, especially for areas to the north and northwest of Toronto. Our high temperatures for Saturday will occur early in the day and then temperatures will slowly fall through the day.
Expanding beyond Ontario, Quebec's weekend will start off pleasant, but will then turn colder late on Saturday as a strong cold front tracks across the region with a period of rain and snow showers. Much colder weather is expected for Sunday, with temperatures several degrees colder than normal––struggling to climb much above the freezing mark.
Finally, as we hit the East Coast, the remnants of a Colorado low and a developing system off the U.S. Eastern Seaboard will bring unsettled weather to end the week, lingering into Saturday.
Sunday won't fare much better, even though conditions will improve. It still won't feel like spring as chilly temperatures move into the region behind the system.
With files from Matthew Grinter and Dr. Doug Gillham, meteorologists at The Weather Network, and Nathan Howes, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates for Canada's first weekend of the spring.