Winter hit B.C. early this year, but what will the next few months bring?
The Weather Network has released their long-term winter forecast and it calls for a stormy three months of winter.
"As a whole, Canadians should expect a wild ride from start to finish,” said Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Network. "It's safe to say we’ll all be participating in winter this year."
The stormy forecast is thanks to a developing La Niña that will bring cooler temperatures and above average precipitation to much of North America.
For B.C., the western half of the province can expect fairly normal temperatures and precipitation, but that isn’t the case for everyone.
The eastern half of the province will see colder than normal temperatures and extended periods of cold weather will be common during the second half of the winter season.
For southeast B.C., including the Thompson and Okanagan regions, there will be an above normal amount of precipitation this winter as well.
One positive is that The Weather Network expects excellent ski conditions for much of the season in B.C.
The Weather Network adds that, while it’s too early to have much confidence in a forecast for the spring’s weather patterns, an early spring is likely.
“When we look back at years in the past that had global patterns similar to what we are current seeing (such as a developing La Niña) there is a remarkable consistency - spring does come early,” The Weather Network explains.
“Of course a lot can change between now and then, but our preliminary thought is that most of Canada will be near or below seasonal during the month of March.”
To see more details on what the winter forecast holds for the rest of Canada, click this link.
