Spring Outlook 2015: Long-range weather forecast for Canada

Tuesday, March 3, 2015, 8:21 PM - Most Canadians can expect the weather to feel familiar this spring, as the trends that have prevailed over the winter are forecast to persist through March and beyond, according to The Weather Network’s 2015 Spring Outlook revealed March 3.

"Spring is going to come," chief meteorologist Chris Scott said of this long-range forecast for March, April and May. "It’s just going to be a bit delayed across the East."

The spring-like weather is due to start later for most, and remain colder than usual.

"What’s happened is a big part of what’s to come," he said. “March is a winter month."

See these regional outlooks: National | British Columbia | Prairies | Ontario | Quebec | Atlantic Region

A few weeks before the official start of each season, The Weather Network releases its outlook for the months to come. The Winter Outlook in November predicted that December, January and February would be colder than usual for most, with heavier than normal snowfall for the Atlantic Region.

"It took winter a bit longer to set in across Central and Atlantic Canada," Scott said, "but now that it has, it doesn't appear to want to let go."

Extensive ice on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway combined with deep snow across the Atlantic will contribute to slower warming for the season. And the already storm-stricken region can expect more even rough weather to come.

"There’s a heightened threat for significant late season snowfalls for Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, due to the active southern storm track and the abundance of arctic air that lingers deep into spring," meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham said.

This is the temperature outlook for March.

Despite the call for a colder than normal start to spring for most, look for a “spring preview” to spread across the country. It will last the longest in the West and the least amount of time in the East, but this is to be followed by a return to colder weather that will last into April.

Once we get through early April, however, things start to look up a bit. “While it’s expected to be a slow start, Canadians can rest easy and know that relief is in sight,” Scott said. “We will turn the corner in April, and get near seasonal conditions as we head into May.”

For the West, this spring looks to remain warmer and dryer than normal. “As we move through April and May, it gets warmer relative to normal through parts of B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan,” Scott said.

But Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and most of the Atlantic region are to remain colder than normal, and wetter in the Maritimes.

Summer preview

The good news is that winter weather is not a good predictor of the upcoming June, July and August. We do, however, see some similarities between our current weather pattern and what we saw last spring. Check back around the end of May for the 2015 Summer Outlook long-range forecast to see if these similarities continue.

This is the temperature outlook for March, April and May combined.

This is the precipitation outlook for March, April and May combined.

This is the outlook for Canada.

CORRECTION: The label on an earlier version of the March map said "precipitation," although the map indicated temperature. It has been corrected.