Wild winter? La Niña signals long, stormy season full of highs and lows

The Weather Network's 2017 Winter Forecast examines conditions across Canada

OAKVILLE, ON, Nov. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Mounting snow banks, marathon shoveling sessions, icy windshields, delayed commutes. While we all know what to expect from winter by now, Canadians could be in store for a particularly stormy season, according to The Weather Network's Winter Forecast.

"Due to a weak to moderate La Niña, this winter is shaping up to have two distinct personalities? while Canadians should brace themselves for periods of high-impact weather and an impressive amount of snowfall, the good news is we should get a mid-winter break," explained Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Network. "As a whole, Canadians should expect a wild ride from start to finish. It's safe to say we'll all be participating in winter this year."

Here's a more detailed look at the conditions expected across the country this winter:  

Ontario & Quebec ? A classic Canadian winter is expected for this region with an active storm track bringing above average snowfall across central and southern regions. There is also the threat for freezing rain at times across the south.  A stormy weather pattern could bring the Greater Toronto Area its snowiest winter in a decade.  In fact, there are some similarities in the global weather pattern between this year and the winter of 2007-2008, which brought Pearson airport its snowiest winter on record. The cold will be the bigger story across northwestern Ontario with colder than normal temperatures expected.  However, the pattern will relax at times with an extended period of milder weather expected mid-winter.

British Columbia ? Colder than normal temperatures are expected across the eastern half of the province with near normal temperatures near the coast.  The province will see an abundance of wintry weather with excellent ski conditions for much of the season, but this winter will not be as persistent or as severe as it was last year, especially for the south coast of B.C.

The Prairies ? The Prairies will experience the harshest winter weather in the country with below normal temperatures and above normal snowfall expected for much of the region, especially across the south. However, the frigid pattern is expected to relax at times and above normal snowfall is good news for areas that experienced drought conditions during the summer.

Atlantic Canada ? A classic Canadian winter is expected with near to above normal temperatures for much of the region and above normal precipitation. Temperatures should still be cold enough for an abundance of snow and ice, but periods of milder weather and rain will keep the snowbanks from getting as high as they did during the infamous winter of 2014-2015.

With an abundance of snowfall and storms expected across the country, Canadians should pay extra close attention to the daily forecast as winter weather conditions can develop rapidly. Canadians can prepare for changeable weather patterns by visiting www.theweathernetwork.com or by downloading The Weather Network App and creating an account for personalized and up to the minute forecast information.

Complete Winter Forecast details, including regional breakdowns, maps and charts are available at www.theweathernetwork.com/winter.

Interview opportunities: The Weather Network meteorologists are available for interviews from November 20 to 22, 2017 to provide regional forecasts and additional information about this year's Winter Forecast.

About Pelmorex Weather Networks

Pelmorex Weather Networks, a division of Pelmorex Corp., is a leading international provider of weather-related information services.  It operates in North America, Europe, Latin America, India and Australia under the brands The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es and Clima. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and mobile apps.  Eltiempo is Spain's leading multi-platform weather information provider. Pelmorex also operates Canada's National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (Alert Ready) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies. 

SOURCE The Weather Network