‘Several bouts’ of late winter in store for Ontario; The Weather Network predicts delayed spring

March has arrived and the start of spring is inching closer, but it appears winter isn’t ready to release its cold grip anytime soon.

Another storm is expected to hit Ottawa and the Valley later this week, and The Weather Network’s spring forecast suggests the incoming winter wallop is something we should be getting used to in Ontario.

Spring officially arrives on March 20, but according to the spring forecast, March and parts of April will bring periods of colder-than-normal temperatures and “messy winter weather.”

“Extended periods of early spring-like weather during the heart of winter provided false hope that spring was going to arrive early this year,” reads the spring forecast. “An active storm track is expected across southern Ontario through at least April.”

The colder-than-normal spring conditions are expected to trend across most of the country. “The primary driver of the spring weather pattern is the fading La Niña pattern in the Pacific Ocean,” says The Weather Network meteorologists. “La Niña is associated with cooler than normal ocean water temperatures near the Equator and to the west of South America.”

The forecast suggests the risk of flooding this spring will be lower than usual due to an extended winter thaw that reduced snow and ice in waterways. Flood risk could increase in late spring due to a snowy March.

The season should end on a warmer and drier note as we push closer to summer.

There is the potential for another winter storm for Ottawa this Friday. There are indications that the Capital could receive 10 to 15 centimetres of snow, but a lot can change between now and Friday evening. Temperatures could be on the milder side, which would change the amount of snow.

It should be relatively calm before the storm arrives, Wednesday calls for a high of 1 C and a chance of flurries. Thursday will be mainly cloudy with sunny breaks and a high near 3 C.

With files from The Canadian Press.