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Lakes District can expect mild winter

Canada as a whole could have one of the warmest winters on record.
Lakes District can expect mild winter
AccuWeather’s map shows that most parts of the country can expect a warmer than normal winter. Temperatures in the Lakes District will average 2-3 C above normal this upcoming season.

According to AccuWeather, the combination of a strong El Nino and above normal sea surface waters over the Pacific will result in another winter with above-normal temperatures in the Lakes District.

Although temperatures in the Lakes District will average 2-3 C above normal this upcoming season, it still won’t be as warm as last winter, when temperatures averaged about 3.5 C above normal.

According to Brett Anderson, Meteorologist for AccuWeather, Lakes District residents will most likely have a white Christmas this year.

“The snowiest part of the winter will likely be December into early January,” he explained.

Anderson said snowfall will average “close to normal” this winter in Burns Lake. Average snowfall for a given year in Burns Lake is about 190 cm.

As El Nino persists into the upcoming winter season, Canada as a whole could have one of the warmest winters on record.

Western Canada residents should expect another winter with above to well above-normal temperatures. Compared to last winter, there will be more snow across the coastal mountains of Western B.C., which includes the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort.

Drier and milder weather will be a dominant theme across the Prairie region this winter as the polar jet stream gets displaced farther to the north.

For Ontario and Quebec, this upcoming winter will not be nearly as cold as last winter. Unfortunately, the winter pattern will also favour an increased risk of ice storms, especially from Eastern Ontario to Southern Quebec.

Atlantic Canada can also expect slightly warmer temperatures compared to normal this winter. The winter could turn snowy again from New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island, especially the second half of the winter. The milder conditions will favour a greater tendency for storms that initially bring snow but changes to ice or rain, especially across Nova Scotia.

Despite the unusual cold across the eastern half of the country the past two winters, Canadian winters have been trending warmer – an average of 3 C warmer - over the past 67 years, according to AccuWeather. A majority of that warming has been across the northern half of the country - north of 55 degrees latitude - due in part to the loss of reflective snow and ice. AccuWeather meteorologists believe global warming has played a direct role in the warming trend across Canada.