Mother's Day Forecast: Rainy and cool for many Canadians

Thursday, May 11, 2017, 4:23 PM - Mother's Day is expected to be cooler than average and on the wetter side across many parts of the country.

With additional rainfall in the forecast for some, all eyes are on eastern Ontario and Quebec where several communities have declared a state of emergency due to severe flooding. But cross-country, the chance for showers will be present for many.

Below is a look at who will see active weather this weekend.

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British Columbia

The South Coast will be unsettled into the weekend, but at this point Sunday should be drier than Saturday, according to The Weather Network's Dr. Doug Gillham.

"Not a washout for the Mother’s Day weekend – but scattered showers and thunderstorms," Gillham says. "Snow levels drop to 1300 to 1800 metres."

A weakening upper level low will continue to bring scattered showers to the province Saturday, with another upper low expected to bring showers late Sunday into Monday.

"Unsettled weather continues into early next week, but looks like a drier and warmer pattern for mid and late week," Gillham adds.

Prairies 

A cooler and more active pattern will begin over the weekend and continue into the week.

A system develops east of the Rockies Friday with widespread rain and thunderstorms expected to develop late Friday into Saturday for Alberta, which will slowly spread east through the weekend.

Southern Alberta looks to be drier than central and northern portions of the province. Showers will be heaviest for Edmonton and north Saturday, with temperatures dropping below seasonal. 

"Another low develops south of the border near Montana and spreads rain into the southern Prairies for Mother's Day and into early next week," Gillham notes.

Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to be in the mid-to-high teens for Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Southern Saskatchewan could see a passing shower late day Saturday, with the possibility for more widespread rain to develop overnight into Sunday morning. However, Sunday does not look to be all day rain. 

Manitoba has the best chance of seeing fair weather this weekend, with a mix of sun and cloud both Saturday and Mother's Day. Windy and wet conditions, however, enter the province next week.

Ontario

In tune with the rest of the country, a chilly pattern will continue through the weekend, with more unsettled conditions to come.

A system tracking well to the south will likely become a nor’easter for the east coast of the U.S., bringing a couple rounds of showers for southern Ontario. While not a washout (rain totals are not expected to have a major impact on water levels in lakes, rivers, and creeks), the weekend will feel more like mid-April than mid-May.

The Greater Toronto Area will be the dividing line, with more persistent showers expected for eastern Ontario, while southwestern portions of the province will be drier. 

Quebec

Southern Quebec will see widespread and heavier rain this weekend, with 30 to 50 mm in the forecast.

The wet weather does look to hold off for Quebec City and east until the latter half of the weekend.

With more rain expected for the province, this will certainly not help the current flooding crisis in the Gatineau and Laval regions.

Maritimes

A drier pattern beckons from Friday into Saturday before the next system moves in for Sunday.

Mother’s Day showers will push in from west to east through the day and last through Monday across the region. New Brunswick could locally receive 30+ mm in that time.

The work week will begin on an unsettled note for the region.

Newfoundland

It will be cool for Newfoundland as well, with temperatures about five to seven degrees below the seasonal average for places like St. John's. However, it is expected to be dry for the most part this weekend.

Check back for updates as we continue to monitor the forecast.