Will Canada’s volatile March go out like a lion or a lamb?
The month’s temperamental nature is on full display as we close out March across the country
Canada has a love-hate relationship with the month of March, which marks the beginning of spring even as stubborn wintry weather fights to maintain its grip.
Volatile weather that accompanies the changing seasons gave rise to the phrase “in like a lion, out like a lamb.”
This time around, though, the reverse will hold true. After a quiet start, we’re on track for unsettled weather to close out the month.
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March came in like a lamb this year
We kicked off March with above-seasonal temperatures blanketing Western Canada. In fact, a few spots in southern Alberta had already reached 20 degrees back in February.
The intermittent warmth eventually reached southern Ontario, where Windsor captured the year’s warmest reading so far with a daytime high of 23°C.
Things changed in a hurry as a major heat dome set up across the southwestern United States, a pattern which had a significant impact on Canadian weather.
Strong ridging south of the border helped to channel moisture along a potent and prolonged atmospheric river aimed at British Columbia. Heavy rain fell for almost a full week.
A series of Alberta clippers rode the ridge to bring rounds of snow, ice, and rain to the Great Lakes and Eastern Canada.
The month looks to go out like a lion
That pattern is about to change heading into the final days of March, certainly not soon enough for B.C.
We’ll see that major southern ridge relax and make way for a return of near-normal temperatures across the West, especially in the B.C. Interior. Freezing levels will drop as a Pacific low drags several fronts into the coast, which will allow for heavy alpine snowfall.
A few clippers will still move through the Prairies on their way to Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. A few of these systems are likely to track a little farther south along the Yellowhead Highway, which would bring travel impacts along this major route.
Folks across the Great Lakes and Quebec are looking at four more opportunities for snow. There’s some indication that at least two of these episodes could be quite strong for eastern Newfoundland as we close out the month.
Indications suggest that cooler temperatures will spread across Canada as the ridge relaxes. Keep in mind that the concept of “normal” temperatures changes quickly this time of year, and below-seasonal readings aren’t quite as frigid as they would be in the middle of winter.
Looking ahead, April may kick off with another round of contrasting temperatures between a cooler west and a warmer east. The only guarantee is that spring’s volatile and ever-changing weather is here to stay for a good while longer.