Forecast: Arctic air continues to dominate

Issued March 17, 2023 • Covering the period from March 22 to 29, 2023

When will spring get here? When will the melt start? Those are the questions I’ve heard most in recent days. Thanks to a series of arctic highs, it looks like spring, or the melt, will not move in until early April. We saw the impact of these arctic highs in the last forecast period. For

Forecast probability of temperature above, below and near normal (calibrated) for the period of March, April and May 2023. (Map by Environment and Climate Change Canada)

‘Normal’ spring ahead for most of the Prairies

Below-normal rains expected for southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan

MarketsFarm — Canada’s Prairies are looking at normal temperatures over the next month to three months, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The federal department on Tuesday issued its temperature and precipitation probabilistic forecasts, which also called for normal precipitation for most of the region. “The forecast is really neutral for the Prairies,



Vehicles are shown wrecked along the Highway 401/402 corridor near London, Ont. on Dec. 23, 2022. (Ontario Provincial Police photo via Twitter)

Winter storm causes havoc across Canada

Alberta ranchers shelter cattle against winds

Ottawa/Winnipeg | Reuters — Strong winds, freezing rain and heavy snowfall closed schools, cut power to homes and cancelled flights across Canada on Friday as a powerful winter storm swept across the country, prompting authorities to warn people to stay indoors ahead of worsening conditions. The storm is connected to the same freezing weather system


(Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Environment Canada sees ‘average’ Prairie winter ahead

MarketsFarm — An ‘average’ winter is in the forecast for most of the Canadian Prairies, according to the latest long-range seasonal forecast for December through February from Environment Canada, released Wednesday. The government department is calling for normal temperatures across all the agricultural areas of the three Prairie provinces — aside from the northernmost reaches

Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature anomalies (in degrees Celsius) for the week centred on Sept. 14, 2022. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina set to continue for third year

Other weather patterns may override temporarily

MarketsFarm — With fall soon upon North America, there’s nothing overly unusual with the continuation of La Nina, according to Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc. at Overland Park, Kansas. Going into its third year, some people might think this is the third consecutive La Nina — but Lerner said it’s the same one,


File photo of wheat south of Ethelton, Sask. on Aug. 1, 2022. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairies’ high-pressure ridge should give way by mid-month

Brisk harvest pace expected meanwhile

MarketsFarm — While there’s not one specific cause of the hot September the Canadian Prairies has generally been having so far, Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler notes one particular shorter-term factor. “There is a fairly strong upper-level ridge of high pressure across the Prairies right now,” he explained, adding it should dissipate by mid-month. The



Staying cool and safe in the summer heat

Staying cool and safe in the summer heat

As the heart of summer begins, the days will get hotter and high temperatures may cause problems for people working outdoors or indoors without air conditioning. Hot air, high humidity, sunshine and hot surfaces can raise body temperatures to dangerous levels. Add physical activity and the results can be life-threatening. Workers and employers need to

Will summer be cold and wet or hot and dry?

Weather-wise, May 2022 turned out to be a sequel to April

Once again, I am in the position of having to write the monthly weather roundup while there are several days left in the month. Due to my deadline being the Friday before you read this, I had to decide whether I should wait one more issue to take our monthly look back and then peer