After most of the country enjoyed mild conditions last winter, many are wondering if their parkas can remain in the back of the closet for another year. To help Canadians determine whether they’ll be bundling up, The Weather Network has released its Winter Forecast for the months of December, January and February predicting what Canadians can expect during the country’s harshest season.
Overall, the Winter Forecast shows that the majority of Canadians can expect a typical, Canadian winter season. Near to below normal temperatures are anticipated for areas spanning from the Central and Eastern Prairies through to Southern Ontario and Western Quebec. Both the West and East Coasts should see near normal temperatures while above normal temperatures will dominate across the North. An active storm track is expected to extend across most of the country, with above normal precipitation likely for much ofBritish Columbia and from the Great Lakes through to Atlantic Canada.
“Last winter, a record strong El Niño in the Pacific Ocean overwhelmed the country with mild conditions, but the setup going into this winter is completely different with a weak La Niña in place,” said Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Network. “The expected jet stream pattern favours a stormier winter across much of the country. While the exact track of each storm will determine the type of precipitation for a specific area, it’s likely most Canadians will be shovelling more snow than last winter.”
With the potential for stormy weather and variable conditions, Canadians can be prepared for the season and stay safe this winter by visiting The Weather Network’s website or by downloading The Weather Network App and enabling the “Follow Me” feature to get location-specific weather information to remain up-to-date on current conditions. The Weather Network’s Precip Start Stop is another helpful tool to know how the weather will change in the next few hours.
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The Weather Network’s Winter Forecast 2024 |
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Region |
Temperature Outlook |
Precipitation Outlook |
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British Columbia |
Near normal for most of British Columbia and above normal for north western areas of the province. |
Above normal for coastal British Columbia and most of the province. Near normal for northern regions. |
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Alberta |
Near normal. |
Near normal for the province except above normal along the Rockies and across most of Southern Alberta. |
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Saskatchewan |
Near normal for northern parts of the province and below normal for the rest of Saskatchewan. |
Near normal. |
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Manitoba |
Near normal for the northern half of Manitoba and below normal for southern areas. |
Near normal. |
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Ontario |
Near normal areas near Hudson Bay and below normal for the rest of Ontario. |
Above normal across the Great Lakes Basin and Ottawa Valley, near normal elsewhere |
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Québec |
Near normal for most of the province, below normal for western regions and above normal for northern areas and the Lower North Shore. |
Above normal across Southern Quebec, near normal elsewhere. |
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The Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador |
Above normal for most of Labrador, near normal elsewhere. |
Above normal for most of the Maritimes and southwestern areas of Newfoundland. Near normal for the remainder of Newfoundland and Labrador. |
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Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut |
Above normal for Yukon and most of the Northwest Territories. Above normal for most of the Kitikmeot and Kivalliq Regions of Nunavut, near normal elsewhere. |
Near Normal. |
SOURCE The Weather Network 
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