A downtown resident struggles to clear snow on February 13, 2019 in Ottawa, Ontario, as a massive winter storm dumped one of the largest snowfalls of 2019. (Photo by Michel COMTE / AFP)
Canadians can expect a cold and snow-filled winter season, says the Farmers’ Almanac forecast, as the winter “cold event” La Niña delivers below-normal temperatures to two-thirds of the country.
The Almanac’s extended weather forecast says La Niña will affect temperatures from late 2024 and into 2025, with the coldest temperatures from east of the Rockies and into the Great Lakes.
Residents of those regions can expect the coldest days in the final week of January and the beginning of February. According to the Almanac, frigid Arctic air will move in around that time, resulting in a sharp temperature drop particularly in the Prairies.
B.C. should also brace for wet and “unseasonably chilly” conditions, the report says, while Quebec and the Maritimes can expect near- to above-normal temperatures.
Above normal precipitation is expected over the eastern third of Canada, especially in the Great Lakes area, with Newfoundland and Labrador regions also forecast to see some snow, although most of it will be mushy and slushy due to expected above-normal temperatures, the Almanac says.
Ontario should see a “whirlwind” of both snow and rain, while Quebec can expect to be more white than wet this winter with a substantial storm in mid-February. Overall, the best chances of having a white winter are in the Prairies.
The last week of January should bring active storm weather, including strong and gusty winds, the forecast says, with heavy precipitation in the eastern half of Canada at that time.
“We are especially highlighting the time frames from January 20 to 23 and 24 to 27, which may bring copious snow, rain, sleet and ice,” the forecast says.
Farmers’ Almanac Method
The Farmers’ Almanac has been using the same method to develop its long-range weather forecasts since 1818.
The formula was developed by the publication’s founding editor, David Young, according to the Almanac website. While the editors keep the exact formula a secret, some basic elements are known.
Sunspot activity, tidal action of the moon, and plant positions are some of the techniques included in the Almanac formula. The reversal of winds in the stratosphere over the equator is also part of the mix.
Past weather patterns are compared to current conditions to forecast future weather, the Almanac website says. It’s an approach called analogue forecasting and is useful in predicting weather events like storms.
The website notes that the moon’s behaviour is one of the most important predictive elements.
“The Moon acts as a ’meteorological swizzle stick,’ occasionally stirring up atmospheric disturbances with its cyclical and predictable movements,” the website says.
Chandra Philip is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.