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A Snowy Winter Coming for Much of Southern Canada

Oct 25, 2010; 12:17 AM ET

The Winter Outlook for Canada

The winter of 2010/2011 should be very different than last winter across many parts of Canada thanks to the moderate to strong La Nina.

The more populated regions of southern Canada should get plenty of snow this coming winter.

Across the West, the Pacific storm train will be quite active, bringing above-normal rain and snow to the coast, while the western mountains receive a bonanza of snow.

The West will also get its share of Arctic outbreaks, especially from northern British Columbia through Alberta, while the worst of the cold will concentrate over Alaska and the Yukon Territory.

Snowfall will also be heavier than normal from Ontario through southern Quebec and into northern New Brunswick this winter as the main storm track cuts near the southern Great Lakes and into northern New England. Parts of central Ontario and the higher elevations of southeastern Quebec could end up with substantial amounts of snowfall this coming winter due to the favorable storm track.

In the East, temperatures will trend above normal starting in January, with the mildest air compared to normal occurring in February. Mixed rain and snow events will be common across southern Ontario, but due to the higher number of storms tracking nearby during the course of the winter, snowfall should still average above-normal despite the milder trend.

The lake-effect snow season should get off to a quick start later in November and into December as cold air masses cross the unusually warm lakes. By the second half of the winter, the coldest air masses will mostly reside up across the the western Prairies and northwestern Canada, while the lakes continue to cool, reducing the amount of lake-effect snow.

Atlantic Canada should end up slightly warmer-than-normal this winter. One reason for this will be the presence of warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures around Newfoundland.

The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of AccuWeather, Inc. or AccuWeather.com

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About This Blog

Brett Anderson
Brett Anderson covers both short-term and long-term weather and storm forecasts for Canada in this blog for AccuWeather.com.

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